Boy nameCurrently #988 in the USFalling
Harold
HAIR-old//ˈhærəld//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19246 lettersStarts with H
Meaning & origin
Army ruler
Harold comes from the Old English 'here' (army) and 'weald' (rule), meaning 'army ruler', borne by the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold II, who fell at Hastings. Its historic weight gives it an old-fashioned strength.
Harold's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Harold |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 113 |
| 1881 | 120 |
| 1882 | 127 |
| 1883 | 108 |
| 1884 | 191 |
| 1885 | 201 |
| 1886 | 224 |
| 1887 | 279 |
| 1888 | 298 |
| 1889 | 340 |
| 1890 | 408 |
| 1891 | 419 |
| 1892 | 583 |
| 1893 | 572 |
| 1894 | 690 |
| 1895 | 762 |
| 1896 | 868 |
| 1897 | 868 |
| 1898 | 963 |
| 1899 | 919 |
| 1900 | 1,252 |
| 1901 | 915 |
| 1902 | 1,083 |
| 1903 | 1,065 |
| 1904 | 1,186 |
| 1905 | 1,266 |
| 1906 | 1,337 |
| 1907 | 1,459 |
| 1908 | 1,551 |
| 1909 | 1,735 |
| 1910 | 1,921 |
| 1911 | 2,459 |
| 1912 | 5,122 |
| 1913 | 6,182 |
| 1914 | 7,601 |
| 1915 | 10,488 |
| 1916 | 10,733 |
| 1917 | 11,255 |
| 1918 | 12,235 |
| 1919 | 12,092 |
| 1920 | 13,744 |
| 1921 | 13,886 |
| 1922 | 13,655 |
| 1923 | 13,932 |
| 1924 | 14,230 |
| 1925 | 13,683 |
| 1926 | 13,402 |
| 1927 | 13,325 |
| 1928 | 12,760 |
| 1929 | 11,775 |
| 1930 | 11,729 |
| 1931 | 10,758 |
| 1932 | 10,494 |
| 1933 | 9,583 |
| 1934 | 9,963 |
| 1935 | 9,212 |
| 1936 | 8,657 |
| 1937 | 8,587 |
| 1938 | 8,590 |
| 1939 | 8,325 |
| 1940 | 8,113 |
| 1941 | 8,138 |
| 1942 | 8,608 |
| 1943 | 8,696 |
| 1944 | 8,008 |
| 1945 | 7,548 |
| 1946 | 8,408 |
| 1947 | 8,929 |
| 1948 | 8,168 |
| 1949 | 7,837 |
| 1950 | 7,237 |
| 1951 | 7,193 |
| 1952 | 6,975 |
| 1953 | 6,606 |
| 1954 | 6,381 |
| 1955 | 6,124 |
| 1956 | 5,980 |
| 1957 | 5,779 |
| 1958 | 5,162 |
| 1959 | 4,967 |
| 1960 | 4,706 |
| 1961 | 4,468 |
| 1962 | 4,249 |
| 1963 | 4,108 |
| 1964 | 3,887 |
| 1965 | 3,568 |
| 1966 | 3,337 |
| 1967 | 2,975 |
| 1968 | 2,854 |
| 1969 | 2,783 |
| 1970 | 2,745 |
| 1971 | 2,412 |
| 1972 | 2,056 |
| 1973 | 1,821 |
| 1974 | 1,689 |
| 1975 | 1,605 |
| 1976 | 1,455 |
| 1977 | 1,451 |
| 1978 | 1,255 |
| 1979 | 1,256 |
| 1980 | 1,202 |
| 1981 | 1,115 |
| 1982 | 1,055 |
| 1983 | 947 |
| 1984 | 866 |
| 1985 | 869 |
| 1986 | 812 |
| 1987 | 813 |
| 1988 | 811 |
| 1989 | 789 |
| 1990 | 771 |
| 1991 | 683 |
| 1992 | 671 |
| 1993 | 602 |
| 1994 | 517 |
| 1995 | 519 |
| 1996 | 508 |
| 1997 | 434 |
| 1998 | 407 |
| 1999 | 413 |
| 2000 | 406 |
| 2001 | 377 |
| 2002 | 363 |
| 2003 | 343 |
| 2004 | 356 |
| 2005 | 349 |
| 2006 | 356 |
| 2007 | 350 |
| 2008 | 311 |
| 2009 | 266 |
| 2010 | 305 |
| 2011 | 256 |
| 2012 | 261 |
| 2013 | 234 |
| 2014 | 272 |
| 2015 | 283 |
| 2016 | 288 |
| 2017 | 286 |
| 2018 | 284 |
| 2019 | 279 |
| 2020 | 238 |
| 2021 | 235 |
| 2022 | 250 |
| 2023 | 250 |
| 2024 | 227 |
Harold through the decades
- Harold peaked in 1924, when 14,230 babies were named Harold in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Harold has fallen 11% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Harold currently ranks #988 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
HarryHal
Variants & spellings
Haraldr