Meaning: Its source is Rögnvaldr, an Old Norse name meaning "Ruler's counselor."

Nickname For: Aaron and Ronald

Popularity: The name Ronny ranked 798th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Ronald emerged among the Scots, and was not widely used in the rest of the English-speaking world until the end of the 19th century. It has had its ups and downs since then.

Most recently, the influence of a ubiquitous hamburger-selling clown has been counterbalanced by that of Ronald Reagan, the former film star who was twice elected to the American presidency.

Older English speakers might send young prospective parents to the video store to check out one of the films of British actor Ronald Coleman (1898-1958), whose suaveness and romantic demeanor influenced use of the name earlier in the century.

Meaning: Its source is Berenike, a Greek name meaning "Bringer of victory."

Nickname For: Veronica

Narrative: St. Veronica was said to have offered Jesus a cloth to wipe his face as he faltered on his way to crucifixion. She obtained a miraculous ''true image'' (in Latin a vera icon) of Jesus' face on the cloth. Some commentators prefer to derive Veronica from the Latin phrase associated with the Christian saint, rather than from the name of the pagan Greek goddess of victory, Nike.

Compare this to St. Jerome's association of Mary with the Latin phrase stella maris (meaning ''star of the sea''), despite the more widely supported derivation from the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning ''wished-for child.''