While hunting down Ralph's ancestry here:
I came across this gem:
The surname Ralph was first found in
Herefordshire where Ralph the Timid, the Earl of Hereford (died 1057) held lands and estates. Apparently, "he was in command there in July 1049, when a force of pirates from
Ireland and
Welsh under Gruffydd ab Rhydderch invaded the shire. He fled before them, leaving Worcester to be burnt by the invaders, and gaining for himself the appellation of 'the timid earl.'
[1
That's right friends, the founder of the Ralph family line was known as Ralph The Timid.