The first name Harold
A boy’s name meaning “army”, “ruler”, “authority”.
Pronounced /ˈhæɹəld/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Harold means “army”, “ruler”, “authority”.
From a merger of Old English Hereweald and Old English Harold (itself from Old Norse Haraldr), both from Proto-Germanic *Harjawaldaz, from *harjaz (“army”) + *waldaz (“ruler, authority”). Related to Walter, which has the elements reversed. Cognate with Danish, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish Harald, Faroese and Icelandic Haraldur.
More names that mean king, warrior.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 23 boys were named Harold, making it the 1,226th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 54 births (#394).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Harold with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Harold at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 230 boys born in the United States were named Harold, the 993rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1924, when 14,149 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.
Harold in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Harold
Famous people named Harold
282 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Harold PinterBritish playwright (1930–2008)
- Harold UreyAmerican physical chemist (1893-1981)
- Harold LloydAmerican actor and comedian (1893–1971)
- Harold BloomAmerican literary critic, scholar, and writer (1930–2019)
- Harold E. VarmusAmerican scientist, born 1939
- Harold HoltAustralian politician, 17th Prime Minister of Australia (1908-1967)
- Harold RamisAmerican actor, comedian, and filmmaker (1944–2014)
- Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of TunisBritish military commander and field marshal; Governor General of Canada (1891-1969)
- Harold PerrineauAmerican actor, born 1963
- Harold RobbinsAmerican novelist (1916–1997)
- Harold RussellFilm and television actor (1914-2002)
- Harold LaskiBritish academic (1893-1950)
Questions
- What does the name Harold mean?
- Harold means “army”, “ruler”, “authority”.
- How popular is the name Harold?
- In 2025, 23 boys born in England and Wales were named Harold, ranking 1,226th. Its peak was 1996, with 54 births.
- What are nicknames for Harold?
- Common nicknames for Harold include Harry.
- Is Harold a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 554,280 US babies named Harold since 1880 were boys.
- When was Harold most popular?
- 1924 in the United States, when 14,149 babies were named Harold, its highest rank at 13th.
- How do you pronounce Harold?
- Harold is /ˈhæɹəld/, 2 syllables.
- Is Harold also a surname?
- Yes. Harold is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.