Harald
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- HAH-rald
- Origin
- Old Norse
- UK rank, 2025
- #5,065 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #5,859 for boys
Harald is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “army ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 5,065th for boys in the UK (3 babies) and 5,859th for boys in the US (15 babies).
What does Harald mean?
Old Norse: from Haraldr, hari 'army' + valdr 'ruler'
“army ruler”
Harald Hardrada, king of Norway, died at Stamford Bridge in 1066, weeks before the Battle of Hastings.
Is Harald a girl's or a boy's name?
Harald is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 3 boys in the UK and 15 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Harald in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,065among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3about 1 in 100,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 400% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3 boys in the UK were named Harald, making it the 5,065th most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 2024, with 6 boys.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,974th in England and Wales.
Harald in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | #5,065 |
| 2024 | 6 | #3,335 |
| 2023 | 3 | #5,193 |
| 2022 | 5 | #3,639 |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,188 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 3 | #4,955 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 1 | #5,936 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 1 | #4,138 |
| 2000 | 1 | #4,018 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 4 | #2,531 |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
How popular is Harald in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,859among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 15about 1 in 110,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 15 boys in the US were named Harald, making it the 5,859th most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 1925, with 24 boys. It first appears in the records in 1913.
2025 had more boys named Harald than any year since 1968.
Half of all the boys named Harald in the US since 1880 were born between 1927 and 1962, the years shaded on the chart below.
Harald in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #5,859 |
| 2024 | 13 | #6,464 |
| 2023 | 8 | #8,916 |
| 2022 | 9 | #8,293 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 7 | #9,664 |
| 2017 | 7 | #9,691 |
| 2016 | 6 | #10,739 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 5 | #12,102 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 5 | #9,259 |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 5 | #6,945 |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 6 | #5,466 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,248 |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 5 | #5,769 |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 12 | #2,738 |
| 1969 | 9 | #3,061 |
| 1968 | 23 | #1,649 |
| 1967 | 13 | #2,241 |
| 1966 | 13 | #2,215 |
| 1965 | 10 | #2,615 |
| 1964 | 9 | #2,853 |
| 1963 | 10 | #2,672 |
| 1962 | 15 | #2,116 |
| 1961 | 16 | #2,069 |
| 1960 | 18 | #1,909 |
| 1959 | 12 | #2,413 |
| 1958 | 19 | #1,837 |
| 1957 | 17 | #1,951 |
| 1956 | 9 | #2,796 |
| 1955 | 10 | #2,557 |
| 1954 | 11 | #2,448 |
| 1953 | 9 | #2,708 |
| 1952 | 10 | #2,512 |
| 1951 | 9 | #2,660 |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 9 | #2,605 |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 11 | #2,355 |
| 1946 | 5 | #3,523 |
| 1945 | 11 | #2,130 |
| 1944 | 7 | #2,861 |
| 1943 | 16 | #1,832 |
| 1942 | 13 | #2,041 |
| 1941 | 9 | #2,491 |
| 1940 | 12 | #2,081 |
| 1939 | 14 | #1,879 |
| 1938 | 13 | #1,976 |
| 1937 | 11 | #2,197 |
| 1936 | 17 | #1,639 |
| 1935 | 8 | #2,719 |
| 1934 | 6 | #3,275 |
| 1933 | 9 | #2,541 |
| 1932 | 11 | #2,313 |
| 1931 | 14 | #2,003 |
| 1930 | 19 | #1,693 |
| 1929 | 17 | #1,848 |
| 1928 | 14 | #2,162 |
| 1927 | 22 | #1,647 |
| 1926 | 18 | #1,846 |
| 1925 | 24 | #1,534 |
| 1924 | 16 | #2,043 |
| 1923 | 17 | #1,940 |
| 1922 | 15 | #2,142 |
| 1921 | 9 | #2,985 |
| 1920 | 14 | #2,230 |
| 1919 | 18 | #1,810 |
| 1918 | 10 | #2,698 |
| 1917 | 17 | #1,814 |
| 1916 | 12 | #2,258 |
| 1915 | 10 | #2,457 |
| 1914 | 7 | #2,650 |
| 1913 | 6 | #2,495 |
Names like Harald
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Wilfred Arthur Henry Alfred Otis Ralph Louie Frederick Archie Chester Freddie Harvey
Names related to Harald
More Old Norse names
Freya Ronnie Eric Astrid Colby Rafe Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica Raife
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, “Harald: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/harald, updated 20 October 2026.