The first name Arnold
A boy’s name meaning “eagle”, “power”.
Pronounced /ˈɑɹnəld/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Arnold means “eagle”, “power”.
From a French version of a Germanic name, from Proto-West Germanic *Arnuwald, from Proto-Germanic *arô (“eagle”) + *waldą (“power”). For the first part of the word doublet of erne, ornis, and ornitho-. Compare the Latin male given name and cognomen Aquila, and female given name Aquilīna (whence Russian Акули́на (Akulína)), related to aquila (whence eagle).
More names that mean strong.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 59 boys were named Arnold, making it the 627th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Arnold with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Arnold at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 120 boys born in the United States were named Arnold, the 1,477th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1924, when 2,014 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Arnold in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Arnold in Danish, Estonian, German, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Arnold
163 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Arnold SchwarzeneggerAustrian and American actor, bodybuilder, and politician (born 1947)
- Arnold SchoenbergAustrian-Jewish American composer (1874-1951)
- Arnold J. ToynbeeBritish historian (1889–1975)
- Arnold RüütelEstonian politician, former President of Estonia (1928–2024)
- Arnold BennettEnglish writer (1867–1931)
- Arnold PalmerAmerican golfer (1929–2016)
- Arnold WeskerBritish dramatist (1932-2016)
- Arnold van GennepFrench ethnographer and folklorist (1873–1957)
- Arnold BaxEnglish composer, poet, and author (1883–1953)
- Arnold of BresciaCanon regular and revolutionary, 1100–1155
- Arnold GehlenGerman academic (1904-1976)
- Arnold ToynbeeBritish economic historian (1852–1883)
Questions
- What does the name Arnold mean?
- Arnold means “eagle”, “power”.
- How popular is the name Arnold?
- In 2025, 59 boys born in England and Wales were named Arnold, ranking 627th.
- What are nicknames for Arnold?
- Common nicknames for Arnold include Arnie, Arn, Arny.
- Is Arnold a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 104,396 US babies named Arnold since 1880 were boys.
- When was Arnold most popular?
- 1924 in the United States, when 2,014 babies were named Arnold, its highest rank at 95th.
- How do you pronounce Arnold?
- Arnold is /ˈɑɹnəld/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Arnold?
- Ahnold.
- Is Arnold also a surname?
- Yes. Arnold is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.