Harold
Old English Hereweald, “army ruler,” reinforced by the Norse Haraldr.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Harold appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1884 to 1966. Its biggest year was 1924, when 14,149 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 13 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1915, at No. 12. In 2025 it ranked No. 991 for boys. All told, 554,280 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Harrold (1,103), Harald (811) (total births since 1880)
Explore Harold interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,001 | No. 57 |
| 1890s | 7,018 | No. 19 |
| 1900s | 12,795 | No. 16 |
| 1910s | 79,721 | No. 12 |
| 1920s | 133,585 | No. 12 |
| 1930s | 95,467 | No. 18 |
| 1940s | 82,176 | No. 23 |
| 1950s | 62,183 | No. 45 |
| 1960s | 36,744 | No. 92 |
| 1970s | 17,587 | No. 122 |
| 1980s | 9,183 | No. 207 |
| 1990s | 5,518 | No. 324 |
| 2000s | 3,472 | No. 538 |
| 2010s | 2,748 | No. 744 |
| 2020s | 1,434 | No. 914 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.