Ralph comes from the Old Norse name Ráðúlfr meaning "wolf counsel," from the elements ráð meaning "counsel" and úlfr meaning "wolf". It was originally introduced to England by Scandinavian settlers prior to the Norman Conquest, however the Normans did bring the cognate name Radulf. In the Middle Ages it was spelt Ralf and by the 17th century the spelling had changed to Rafe. The now common Ralph spelling emerged in the 18th century. Although the name’s popularity had sharply decreased by the end of the 20th century, it started to rise again in the early 21st.