boy's name
Harold
HAIR-uld
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 559,516
the United States
#992
2025 births
Harold is a boy's name from Norse and Old English elements meaning army ruler, and it belongs to the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, killed at Hastings in 1066. Our data marks it stable rather than falling.
- Harold is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 14,230 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 14,415 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Harold 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 | 2,001 |
| 1890s | 7,052 |
| 1900s | 12,849 |
| 1910s | 80,088 |
| 1920s | 134,392 |
| 1930s | 95,898 |
| 1940s | 82,452 |
| 1950s | 62,406 |
| 1960s | 36,938 |
| 1970s | 17,742 |
| 1980s | 9,277 |
| 1990s | 5,525 |
| 2000s | 3,478 |
| 2010s | 2,748 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,434 |
What Harold means
Harold means army ruler, or commander of the host. The two elements are a word for an army and one for power or rule, so the whole name describes military command.
Where Harold comes from
Harold comes from the Old English Hereweald and the Old Norse Haraldr, both joining a word for an army to one meaning rule — the same pair, in the same order, as Walter's but from a different root for the first half. Harold Godwinson was crowned in January 1066, defeated a Norwegian invasion at Stamford Bridge in September, marched south, and was killed at Hastings in October, ending Anglo-Saxon rule of England in a single year. The name largely disappeared after the Conquest and was revived in the nineteenth century as part of the Victorian enthusiasm for Anglo-Saxon history, which is why its measured curve is modern despite the ancient bearer.
Harold in use
Harold peaked in the United States in 1924, when 14,230 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 992nd in the United States on 230 births, 1260th in England and Wales and 2995th in France, across 559,516 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Stability at a century past its peak places it alongside Helen, Barbara and Virginia rather than with the still-declining majority of its cohort.
How popular is Harold?
In 2025, Harold was given to 230 babies in the United States, ranking #992 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Harold 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 Harold
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Harold also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Harold over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Harold
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.
Harold 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 Harold
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Harold — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Harold
What does the name Harold mean?
Army ruler — a word for an army joined to one meaning rule.
Who was Harold Godwinson?
The last Anglo-Saxon king of England, crowned in January 1066 and killed at Hastings that October.
Is Harry short for Harold?
It can be, though Harry is more usually a form of Henry.
How popular is Harold?
992nd in the United States, and our data marks it stable rather than falling.
Is Harold a girl's or a boy's name?
Harold is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Harold?
Harold has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Harold?
Harold is usually shortened to Harry and Hal.
Is Harold a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Harold currently ranks #992 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.