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Harold Name Meaning, Origins & History

Harold

Pronunciation: HAIR-uhld

Meaning Army leader Origin Old English, Old Norse Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#993
TREND
5
Peak Years
1924, 1923, 1921
Lowest Years
1883, 1880, 1881
Energy Archetype
Ambitious & Self-Sufficient

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Harold in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Harold

  • An all-time favorite: U.S. records show 551,628 boys named Harold from 1880 through 2025.
  • Decades of popularity: Harold stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 83 consecutive years, from 1884 through 1966.
  • More than 554 thousand babies named Harold: U.S. records list 554,276 babies given the name Harold from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,648 girls received the name Harold - about 1 girl for every 208 boys.

What Does the Name Harold Mean?

Harold is an English masculine name derived from the Old English personal name Hereweald. It is composed of the elements here, meaning 'army,' and weald, meaning 'ruler' or 'power.' The literal sense is therefore 'ruler of the army' or 'army leader.' The same Germanic elements are found in Old Norse Haraldr and Old High German Heriwald, so the name belongs to a shared Germanic naming tradition rather than to English alone. The modern English spelling Harold reflects the development of the Old English name, while Scandinavian languages generally use Harald.

Harold Name History & Origins

The name goes back to the Germanic period and is recorded in several old Germanic languages. In Anglo-Saxon England it appears as Hereweald; in Scandinavia the corresponding Old Norse form was Haraldr, which was borne by several early kings. Harald Bluetooth (Old Norse Haraldr Gormsson) ruled Denmark and Norway in the tenth century, and Harald Hardrada (Old Norse Haraldr Sigurðarson) was king of Norway and died in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

In England, the name is closely associated with King Harold II, also called Harold Godwinson, who was crowned in 1066 and killed at the Battle of Hastings in the same year. An earlier English king, Harold I Harefoot, ruled in the late 1030s. After the Norman Conquest, Old English names became less common among the upper classes, and Harold was used less often, though it did not disappear.

The name was used again in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. Lord Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, published between 1812 and 1818, is a well-known literary use of the name, but it is far later than the name's earliest documented occurrences. In Scandinavia, Harald has remained a traditional royal name; King Harald V of Norway has reigned since 1991.

How Popular is the Name Harold?

Harold remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1884 to 1966. Its highest annual birth count was in 1924, and people born that year turn 102 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Harold

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Harold Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Harold's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Harold's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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