Harold
Harold was the 993rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 230 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 12th; the most babies were born in 1924 (14,149). Over the last ten years it has moved down 184 places. More babies were named Harold in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning army ruler · Old English, Old Norse
Say it HAIR-uld /ˈhɛɹəld/
- Rank in 2025
- #993 boys, down 61 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 230boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 192414,149 babies
- Total since 1880
- 554,280babies recorded
What does the name Harold mean?
Harold is a Germanic name made of here 'army, host' and weald 'power, rule', as DMNES and Wiktionary note; in England it merged an Old English form with Old Norse Haraldr. It was borne by many Scandinavian kings and by Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, killed at Hastings in 1066. Walter has the same two elements in reverse order. The name was revived in the 19th century.
here (Old English, “army”)weald (Old English, “power, rule”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Harald, Harry, Hal, Walter.
See also: English names, names that mean king or queen, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Harold', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Harold', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Harold
The usual nicknames for Harold are Hal and Harry. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Harold in the last five years, 143 were named Harry, against 126 twenty years earlier. Hal is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hal · also for Henry | Traditional | #3,151 | 157 |
| Harry · also for Henry, Harrison | Traditional | #775 | 1,716 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Harolds go by each one.
Harold popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,648 since 1893.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #993 | 230 |
| 2020 | #932 | 238 |
| 2010 | #745 | 305 |
| 2000 | #538 | 406 |
| 1990 | #324 | 771 |
| 1980 | #207 | 1,189 |
| 1970 | #122 | 2,726 |
| 1960 | #92 | 4,679 |
| 1950 | #45 | 7,214 |
| 1940 | #23 | 8,080 |
| 1930 | #18 | 11,660 |
| 1920 | #12 | 13,678 |
| 1910 | #18 | 1,909 |
| 1900 | #20 | 1,245 |
| 1890 | #47 | 408 |
| 1880 | #116 | 113 |
How popular is Harold, counting every spelling?
Harold is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #952 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #993 for Harold on its own. Together these spellings went to 230 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harold | 230 | #993 | 1,196 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Harold?
230 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Harold (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Harold 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 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Harold.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Harold?
About 154,000 people born in the US named Harold are alive today, with a median age of 69; half are between 57 and 78. That makes Harold 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.
Harold by state
How common Harold was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wisconsin (2.1×), Colorado (1.9×), Washington (1.8×), Massachusetts (1.5×). In 20 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 Harold: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Harold, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Harold · Sibling names for Harold
Questions about the name Harold
What does Harold mean?
Harold means “army ruler” (Old English, Old Norse origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Harold?
Harold was the 993rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 230 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 12th; the most babies were born in 1924 (14,149). Over the last ten years it has moved down 184 places. More babies were named Harold in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Harold a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Harold in the US.
Where is Harold most popular?
In 2021–2025, Harold was most common in Wisconsin (0.29 per 1,000 boys), followed by Colorado and Washington.