boy's name
Arnold
AR-nuld
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 108,297
England and Wales
#631
2025 births
Arnold means eagle power, and England and Wales ranks it 631st on 59 births — well above the United States at 1478th, which is not what the name's twentieth-century American associations would predict. It peaked in 1924, and holds 107,814 lifetime births.
- Arnold is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 2,031 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 27,628 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Arnold over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 404 |
| 1890s | 859 |
| 1900s | 1,546 |
| 1910s | 12,673 |
| 1920s | 19,693 |
| 1930s | 17,995 |
| 1940s | 16,104 |
| 1950s | 13,253 |
| 1960s | 9,552 |
| 1970s | 3,706 |
| 1980s | 2,578 |
| 1990s | 2,695 |
| 2000s | 1,696 |
| 2010s | 1,000 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 642 |
What Arnold means
Arnold means eagle power, or eagle ruler. The Germanic joins the word for an eagle to one meaning rule or strength, so both halves of the compound carry authority.
Where Arnold comes from
Arnold is the Germanic Arnwald — arn, an eagle, joined to wald, rule or power. The arn is the same element in Arne and in the Dutch Arend; the wald gives Waldo, Ronald and the -ald in Gerald and Harold. Eagles were the standard emblem of authority from the Roman legions through the Holy Roman Empire to the American seal, which is why the compound reads as it does. Arnaud, written up separately, is the French form of the same name.
Arnold in use
Arnold peaked in the United States in 1924, when 2,031 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 631st in England and Wales on 59 births — its strongest market — then 778th in Scotland on 3, 1478th in the United States on 120 and 5597th in France, across 108,297 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Arnold?
In 2025, Arnold was given to 120 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Arnold is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Arnold
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Arnold also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Arnold over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Arnold
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Arnold in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Arnold
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Arnold — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Arnold
What does the name Arnold mean?
Eagle power — the Germanic arn, an eagle, joined to wald, rule.
Why an eagle?
Eagles were the standard emblem of authority from the Roman legions onward.
Is Arnaud the same name?
Yes — the French form of the same Germanic compound.
Where is Arnold most used?
England and Wales at 631st, well above the United States at 1478th.
How popular is the name Arnold?
In 2025, Arnold was given to 120 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Arnold a girl's or a boy's name?
Arnold is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Arnold?
Arnold has 2 syllables.
When was Arnold most popular?
Arnold peaked in 1924, when 2,031 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Arnold?
Arnold is usually shortened to Arnie.
Is Arnold a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Arnold currently ranks #631 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.