Given name & surname · also Scandinavian, Old English
Harold
“the ruler of an army”
Harold is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “the ruler of an army.”
Original Old NorseHaraldr
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “the ruler of an army.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Old English and Old Norse naming traditions.
How it developed
In English usage, Harold developed from HARALDR.
The story
The name experienced a revival in the 19th century.
Harold through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 554,280
- 551,632 boys · 2,648 girls
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 14,230 babies
- 2025
- 230
- #993 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −13%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 230 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 993 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 14,149 in 1924. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (25). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 186,450 as a first name in 2020; 5,704 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Harold’s family of names
In English usage, Harold has a diminutive in Harry. In English usage, Harold shares a linguistic root with the Norwegian Nynorsk form Harald. Harold has a related form in Herold.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Harold has relatives in 20 languages. Lines run from its Old Norse roots to each of them.
Old Norsewhere Harold comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 57
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Haraldrcognate · Old Norse
- Herewealdolder form · Old English
- Henryequivalent
- Ericequivalent
- Erikequivalent
- Enriqueequivalent
- Henrikequivalent
- Henriequivalent
Show 49 moreShow fewer
- Hendrikequivalent
- Henriqueequivalent
- Henrykequivalent
- Enricoequivalent
- Heinrichequivalent
- Erichequivalent
- Eirikequivalent
- Erykequivalent
- Daroldrelated form
- Enricequivalent
- Hendricequivalent
- Henrichequivalent
- Heinzequivalent
- Henkequivalent
- Heinequivalent
- Hinnerkequivalent
- Jindřichequivalent
- Henricusequivalent
- Araldoequivalent
- Haraldurequivalent
- Herautequivalent
- ГарольдRussian
- Harailtrelated form
- Haraldafeminine form
- Henrikasequivalent
- Èricequivalent
- Henrihequivalent
- Hendricusequivalent
- Éricequivalent
- Henkeequivalent
- Henkleequivalent
- Andrinequivalent
- Eiríkurequivalent
- Ericusequivalent
- Hinrichequivalent
- Hynekequivalent
- Ха́рольдRussian
- Га́рольдRussian
- AraltIrish
- AaralaatGreenlandic
- ΧαρόλδοςGreek
- ჰაროლდიGeorgian
- ჰარალდიGeorgian
- ArvaldoGalician
- HéraultFrench
- Ха́ролдBulgarian
- হ্যারল্ডBengali
- Haralcognate
- Arailtcognate
People named Harold
- Harold PinterBritish playwright (1930–2008)
- Harold WilsonPrime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964-1970 and 1974-1976 (1916–1995)
- Hal HolbrookAmerican actor (1925–2021)
- Harold UreyAmerican physical chemist (1893-1981)
- Harold GodwinsonAnglo-Saxon King of England in 10661022–1066
- Harry BelafonteAmerican singer, actor and civil rights activist (1927–2023)
- Harold LloydAmerican actor and comedian (1893–1971)
- Harold HarefootKing of England from 1035 to 10401016–1040
- Harold E. VarmusAmerican scientistborn 1939
Characters named Harold: Dirty Harry (the Dirty Harry film series).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Harold, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Gustav
“of the staff of the gods”
>99% boys
Reynold
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys
Rexford
“from the king's ford”
>99% boys
Ernest
“one who is sincere and determined; serious”
>99% boys
Leroy
“the king”
>99% boys
Elroy
“a red-haired young man” · “a king”
>99% boys
Harlan
“an athletic woman” · “from the army”
91% boys · 9% girls
Edward
“a wealthy protector”
>99% boys