Harold
From the Old English Hereweald, joining here, "army," with weald, "power, rule." The Old Norse Haraldr reinforced it in England before the Conquest.
Harold in 2025
Harold was given to 230 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,024th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 14,415 babies born.
The history of Harold
Harold reached its highest point in 1924, when 14,230 babies were given the name, ranking 24th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 23rd, in 1927.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 554,280 babies have been named Harold. Half of them were born before 1933, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Harold by decade
| Decade | Babies named Harold | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,001 | 171 |
| 1890s | 7,052 | 84 |
| 1900s | 12,849 | 68 |
| 1910s | 80,088 | 24 |
| 1920s | 134,392 | 23 |
| 1930s | 95,898 | 32 |
| 1940s | 82,452 | 52 |
| 1950s | 62,406 | 94 |
| 1960s | 36,938 | 196 |
| 1970s | 17,742 | 256 |
| 1980s | 9,277 | 427 |
| 1990s | 5,525 | 671 |
| 2000s | 3,478 | 1,152 |
| 2010s | 2,748 | 1,609 |
| 2020s | 1,434 | 1,892 |
Where Harold is heading
Harold has fallen 19% over the past decade, from 283 babies in 2015 to 230 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1924 peak — Harold is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Harold
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Harold.