Arnold
Arnold was the 1477th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 120 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 89th; the most babies were born in 1924 (2,014). Over the last ten years it has moved up 180 places. More babies were named Arnold in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning eagle power · Germanic
Say it AR-nuld /ˈɑɹnəld/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,477 boys, up 267 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 120boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19242,014 babies
- Total since 1880
- 104,396babies recorded
What does the name Arnold mean?
Arnold is a Germanic name from arn 'eagle' and wald 'power, rule', as DMNES and Wiktionary note; it came to England through French. DMNES notes it was the name of an 11th-century saint, patron of brewers, and was often confused with Arnulf ('eagle wolf'). Arnold Palmer and Arnold Schwarzenegger are well-known bearers.
arn (Old High German, “eagle”)walt (Old High German, “power”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Arnie, Arnaud, Arnaldo.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Arnold', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Arnold', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Arnold
The usual nicknames for Arnold are Arnie.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnie | Traditional | #6,171 | 47 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Arnolds go by each one.
Arnold popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 550 since 1912.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,477 | 120 |
| 2020 | #1,744 | 88 |
| 2010 | #1,698 | 90 |
| 2000 | #760 | 218 |
| 1990 | #561 | 327 |
| 1980 | #510 | 276 |
| 1970 | #332 | 569 |
| 1960 | #231 | 1,201 |
| 1950 | #166 | 1,508 |
| 1940 | #118 | 1,581 |
| 1930 | #98 | 1,948 |
| 1920 | #91 | 1,911 |
| 1910 | #126 | 258 |
| 1900 | #171 | 122 |
| 1890 | #229 | 52 |
| 1880 | #276 | 37 |
How popular is Arnold, counting every spelling?
Arnold has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,398 for boys in 2025, against #1,477 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Arnold?
120 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arnold (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Arnold born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 70 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arnold.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arnold?
About 37,000 people born in the US named Arnold are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 50 and 76. That makes Arnold a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Arnold by state
How common Arnold was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 39 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Arnold: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arnold, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Arnold · Sibling names for Arnold
Questions about the name Arnold
What does Arnold mean?
Arnold means “eagle power” (Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Arnold?
Arnold was the 1477th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 120 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 89th; the most babies were born in 1924 (2,014). Over the last ten years it has moved up 180 places. More babies were named Arnold in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Arnold a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Arnold in the US.
Where is Arnold most popular?
In 2021–2025, Arnold was most common in Minnesota (0.11 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and California.