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Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel!
You asked about the origin and meaning of the name "Ranall."
"Ranall" is derived from the Old Norse name "Ro:gnvaldr" (where "o:" stands for an o-umlaut). This name was common in Norway from a very early date, perhaps 8th or 9th century; in Iceland, it didn't become common until the 14th century. [1, 2]
Since "Ro:gnvaldr" is a name rather than a word, it's a bit misleading to speak of it's "meaning." It is much more accurate to say that the name element "-valdr" is closely related to the Old Icelandic word "valdr" (meaning "ruler"). [1]
The antecedents of "Ro:gn-" are less clear. The element probably is from a Germanic root meaning "advice" or "counsel." However, it may be related to the Old Norse word "ro:gn" (meaning "gods"). [1]
Despite these related word roots, the compound name itself has no meaning. [3]
We hope this letter has been helpful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. Arval d'Espas Nord, Evan da Collaureo, Lindorm Eriksson and Talan Gwynek contributed comments and/or research to this letter.
For the Academy,
AElfwyn aet Gyrwum
[1] Fellows Jensen, Gillian, _Scandinavian Personal names in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire_ (Copenhagen: 1968).
[2] Lind, E.H., _Norsk-Isla:ndska Personbinamn fra*n Medeltiden_ (Uppsala: 1920-21).
[3] The ancient precursors of the Old Norse names may have been used simultaneously as personal names and as meaningful descriptions of the person named. By historical times, however, any such practice had long since disappeared. Doubtless the relationship with the word "valdr" was as apparent to a 12th century Norseman as the connection between the name "Hope" and the word "hope" is to us, but a child was far more likely to have been named "Ro:gnvaldr" after a relative or other admired personage than because of the connotation "ruler."