# Arnold (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/arnold/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 138,893 |
| US rank (2010) | 201 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,223 people |
| Change since 2000 | +1.9% (136,315 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹnəld/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Ahnold |

## Etymology

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).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Arnold in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 81% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 13% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Arnold in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Argentina.

## People named Arnold

- Graham Arnold, Australian association football player and coach
- Benedict Arnold, army officer who betrayed America to the British during the Revolutionary War (1740–1801)
- Henry H. Arnold, American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and General of the Air F
- Tom Arnold, American stand-up comedian and actor (born 1959)
- Richard R. Arnold, American educator and astronaut
- Edward Arnold, American actor (1890-1956)
- Jack Arnold, American director (1916–1992)
- Brad Arnold, American singer (1978–2026)
- Tichina Arnold, American actress
- Eddy Arnold, American country music singer, songwriter (1918–2008)
- Eve Arnold, American photojournalist (1913–2012)
- Virginie Arnold, archer

and 34 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Arnall.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.