From Old French 'rondel' meaning small round object; also a poetic verse form.
Rondell is most often understood as a variant spelling of Randall, which derives from the Old Norse *Randúlfr* — a compound of *rand* (shield rim) and *úlfr* (wolf). The wolf-shield warrior image embedded in the etymology evokes the Norse and Anglo-Saxon world of the early Middle Ages, when such compound names marked a man's hoped-for qualities as surely as any title. The name traveled into English as Randolph and Randall, and regional and phonetic variation over centuries produced forms like Randell, Rendell, and eventually Rondell — the rounded vowel softening the Old Norse harshness into something smoother.
There is also a pleasant literary coincidence in the name's resemblance to *rondel* (also spelled *rondeau*), a medieval French lyric form characterized by the repetition of its opening lines as a refrain — a name, in other words, that echoes a small, elegant poem. Whether or not parents making this choice are aware of the connection, it adds a secondary aura of musicality to the name that feels appropriate given that several notable bearers — musicians, athletes, and artists across American popular culture — carry it. Rondell is most prevalent in African American communities in the United States, where it emerged as a distinctive given name in the mid-twentieth century, part of a broader tradition of personalizing and elaborating existing Anglo names to create something uniquely one's own.
It is uncommon enough to stand out without requiring explanation, and its rhythmic three-syllable cadence — RON-dell — gives it an easy, confident sound. As a given name it occupies a quiet dignity: strong in origin, smooth in delivery, and rare enough to feel like a genuine choice rather than a default.