Given name & surname
Herold
“the ruler of an army”
Herold is a variant of Harold. One Scandinavian interpretation is “the ruler of an army.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Herold is a variant of Harold. One Scandinavian interpretation is “the ruler of an army.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Herold is a variant of Harold. Harold has been associated with Old English and Old Norse naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1894. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Herold is a variant of Harold. The history of Harold gives this family its wider story. Harold experienced a revival in the 19th century.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Herold through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 618
- 618 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1923
- 26 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1999. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 26 in 1923. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 689 as a first name in 2020; 5,315 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.
Herold’s family of names
Herold has a related form in Harold. In German usage, Herold has a related form in Harald.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Herold
- Herold JanssonDanish gymnast (1899–1965)
- Herold Georg Wilhelm Johannes SchweickerdtGerman botanist (1903-1977)
- Herold BelgerSoviet author, translator and writer (1934-2015)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Herold, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hershel
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Herschel
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Herman
“a soldier”
>99% boys
Harland
“an athletic woman” · “from the army”
95% boys · 5% girls
Horace
“the keeper of time”
>99% boys
Harmon
“a soldier”
91% boys · 9% girls
Herbert
“an illustrious warrior”
>99% boys
Harden
“from the hare's valley”
>99% boys