Arnold
A Germanic name joining arn, eagle, with walt, power or rule. The Normans brought it to England, where it also became a surname.
Arnold in 2025
Arnold was given to 120 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 3,130th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 27,628 babies born.
The history of Arnold
Arnold reached its highest point in 1924, when 2,031 babies were given the name, ranking 233rd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 206th, in 1916.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 104,396 babies have been named Arnold. Half of them were born before 1939, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Arnold by decade
| Decade | Babies named Arnold | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 404 | 520 |
| 1890s | 859 | 431 |
| 1900s | 1,546 | 350 |
| 1910s | 12,673 | 206 |
| 1920s | 19,693 | 222 |
| 1930s | 17,995 | 224 |
| 1940s | 16,104 | 269 |
| 1950s | 13,253 | 353 |
| 1960s | 9,552 | 480 |
| 1970s | 3,706 | 731 |
| 1980s | 2,578 | 1,157 |
| 1990s | 2,695 | 1,208 |
| 2000s | 1,696 | 1,713 |
| 2010s | 1,000 | 3,141 |
| 2020s | 642 | 3,130 |
Where Arnold is heading
Arnold has risen 26% over the past decade, from 95 babies in 2015 to 120 in 2025.
Names like Arnold
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Arnold.