Nameling

Arnold

Gender
Boy
Say it
AR-nold
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#675 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,477 for boys

Arnold is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “eagle power”. In 2025 it ranked 675th for boys in the UK (59 babies) and 1,477th for boys in the US (120 babies).

What does Arnold mean?

Germanic: Germanic, via Norman French

“eagle power”

Brought to England by the Normans; borne by Thomas Arnold, the reforming 19th-century headmaster of Rugby School.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Arnold a girl's or a boy's name?

Arnold is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 59 boys in the UK and 120 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Arnold in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#675among boys
Babies in 2025
59about 1 in 5,100 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 19% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 59 boys in the UK were named Arnold, making it the 675th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 793rd.

2025 had the most boys named Arnold of any year since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the boys named Arnold in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2022. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 627th in England and Wales.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#75), 1914 (#75), 1924 (#81) and 1934 (#98).

1996Busiest: 59 in 20252025
Arnold in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202559#675
202453#728
202351#740
202257#681
202150#761
202044#793
201953#706
201840#860
201750#755
201632#1,010
201534#964
201424#1,196
201318#1,445
20128#2,595
201117#1,489
201019#1,385
200916#1,507
200819#1,334
200719#1,290
200611#1,742
200514#1,445
200414#1,348
200311#1,498
200211#1,384
200111#1,369
200013#1,165
199916#1,001
199815#1,016
199710#1,319
199618#852

How popular is Arnold in the US?

Rank in 2025
#1,477among boys
Babies in 2025
120about 1 in 14,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 6% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 120 boys in the US were named Arnold, making it the 1,477th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,743rd. Its busiest year was 1924, with 2,014 boys.

2025 had more boys named Arnold than any year since 2017.

Half of all the boys named Arnold in the US since 1880 were born between 1925 and 1956, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 2,014 in 19242025
Arnold in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025120#1,477
202499#1,685
2023105#1,640
2022118#1,523
2021112#1,554
202088#1,743
2019115#1,485
2018103#1,593
2017120#1,433
201698#1,628
201595#1,657
201481#1,828
201397#1,588
201288#1,710
2011113#1,448
201090#1,697
2009125#1,367
2008127#1,348
2007137#1,277
2006133#1,255
2005153#1,075
2004191#900
2003213#821
2002180#897
2001219#775
2000218#759
1999188#807
1998234#710
1997245#666
1996239#681
1995236#689
1994265#636
1993327#564
1992311#575
1991323#563
1990327#559
1989287#574
1988271#560
1987270#553
1986242#568
1985193#634
1984256#540
1983257#521
1982267#521
1981259#524
1980276#510
1979277#500
1978250#519
1977280#484
1976301#450
1975321#445
1974332#433
1973388#394
1972472#356
1971498#361
1970569#332
1969610#306
1968658#289
1967780#257
1966816#253
1965945#241
19641,043#232
19631,144#223
19621,151#224
19611,153#234
19601,201#231
19591,192#229
19581,136#229
19571,265#211
19561,216#213
19551,315#197
19541,282#196
19531,391#182
19521,463#179
19511,428#177
19501,508#166
19491,590#158
19481,641#154
19471,795#149
19461,571#153
19451,407#147
19441,461#145
19431,705#131
19421,685#130
19411,600#123
19401,581#118
19391,617#113
19381,819#111
19371,725#111
19361,712#111
19351,883#103
19341,780#105
19331,749#103
19321,820#100
19311,835#98
19301,948#98
19291,979#95
19281,974#98
19271,998#97
19261,882#99
19251,972#95
19242,014#95
19231,927#93
19221,892#94
19211,982#91
19201,911#91
19191,767#94
19181,910#92
19171,781#91
19161,858#89
19151,691#91
19141,174#97
19131,032#92
1912767#99
1911348#108
1910258#126
1909237#117
1908202#125
1907177#135
1906164#127
1905144#146
1904149#137
1903134#139
1902107#166
1901110#146
1900122#171
189998#154
1898112#151
1897103#151
1896102#160
189596#162
189479#188
189380#180
189280#192
189157#209
189052#229
188942#251
188851#243
188738#261
188641#264
188533#290
188449#244
188342#253
188242#265
188129#296
188037#276

Nicknames for Arnold

Names like Arnold

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Albert Alfred Frederick Arthur Wilfred Leonard Archie Henry Edward Freddie Ernest Otis

Names related to Arnold

Arnoldo Arnaldo

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Charlotte William Charlie Emma Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles Charles

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Arnold: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/arnold, updated 20 October 2026.