Harold
Boy · HA-rold · Old English
Harold is a boys' name of Old English origin, meaning “army ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 1,286th for boys in the UK (23 babies) and 991st for boys in the US (230 babies).
What does Harold mean?
Old English: Old English Hereweald, reinforced by Old Norse Haraldr
“army ruler”
Harold Godwinson, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England, died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
- Say it
- HA-rold
More on Wiktionary.
Is Harold a girl's or a boy's name?
Harold is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 23 boys in the UK and 230 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Harold in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,286among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 23about 1 in 13,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 7% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 23 boys in the UK were named Harold, making it the 1,286th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,105th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 55 boys.
Half of all the boys named Harold in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,225th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#14), 1914 (#18), 1924 (#26), 1934 (#48) and 1944 (#75).
Harold in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | #1,286 |
| 2024 | 29 | #1,085 |
| 2023 | 18 | #1,507 |
| 2022 | 25 | #1,181 |
| 2021 | 13 | #1,876 |
| 2020 | 27 | #1,105 |
| 2019 | 25 | #1,159 |
| 2018 | 23 | #1,243 |
| 2017 | 34 | #985 |
| 2016 | 27 | #1,133 |
| 2015 | 19 | #1,416 |
| 2014 | 22 | #1,260 |
| 2013 | 15 | #1,636 |
| 2012 | 19 | #1,405 |
| 2011 | 25 | #1,125 |
| 2010 | 22 | #1,245 |
| 2009 | 28 | #1,032 |
| 2008 | 27 | #1,047 |
| 2007 | 21 | #1,205 |
| 2006 | 29 | #914 |
| 2005 | 23 | #1,033 |
| 2004 | 21 | #1,040 |
| 2003 | 16 | #1,163 |
| 2002 | 21 | #918 |
| 2001 | 20 | #913 |
| 2000 | 32 | #636 |
| 1999 | 31 | #633 |
| 1998 | 37 | #557 |
| 1997 | 37 | #545 |
| 1996 | 55 | #413 |
How popular is Harold in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #991among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 230about 1 in 7,400 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 11% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 230 boys in the US were named Harold, making it the 991st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 932nd. Its busiest year was 1924, with 14,149 boys.
Half of all the boys named Harold in the US since 1880 were born between 1922 and 1950, the years shaded on the chart below.
Harold in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 230 | #991 |
| 2024 | 227 | #988 |
| 2023 | 253 | #914 |
| 2022 | 250 | #923 |
| 2021 | 236 | #954 |
| 2020 | 238 | #932 |
| 2019 | 279 | #815 |
| 2018 | 284 | #796 |
| 2017 | 286 | #798 |
| 2016 | 288 | #802 |
| 2015 | 283 | #808 |
| 2014 | 272 | #829 |
| 2013 | 234 | #889 |
| 2012 | 261 | #836 |
| 2011 | 256 | #841 |
| 2010 | 305 | #744 |
| 2009 | 266 | #825 |
| 2008 | 312 | #733 |
| 2007 | 350 | #680 |
| 2006 | 356 | #650 |
| 2005 | 349 | #627 |
| 2004 | 350 | #613 |
| 2003 | 343 | #609 |
| 2002 | 363 | #588 |
| 2001 | 377 | #556 |
| 2000 | 406 | #538 |
| 1999 | 413 | #514 |
| 1998 | 406 | #514 |
| 1997 | 435 | #490 |
| 1996 | 508 | #440 |
| 1995 | 519 | #441 |
| 1994 | 517 | #440 |
| 1993 | 602 | #381 |
| 1992 | 664 | #355 |
| 1991 | 683 | #355 |
| 1990 | 771 | #324 |
| 1989 | 783 | #305 |
| 1988 | 801 | #290 |
| 1987 | 805 | #272 |
| 1986 | 803 | #270 |
| 1985 | 857 | #259 |
| 1984 | 861 | #253 |
| 1983 | 940 | #239 |
| 1982 | 1,043 | #225 |
| 1981 | 1,101 | #222 |
| 1980 | 1,189 | #207 |
| 1979 | 1,246 | #195 |
| 1978 | 1,243 | #190 |
| 1977 | 1,434 | #167 |
| 1976 | 1,440 | #162 |
| 1975 | 1,587 | #153 |
| 1974 | 1,677 | #146 |
| 1973 | 1,812 | #140 |
| 1972 | 2,035 | #132 |
| 1971 | 2,387 | #130 |
| 1970 | 2,726 | #122 |
| 1969 | 2,763 | #117 |
| 1968 | 2,835 | #108 |
| 1967 | 2,956 | #104 |
| 1966 | 3,323 | #99 |
| 1965 | 3,539 | #99 |
| 1964 | 3,875 | #98 |
| 1963 | 4,093 | #96 |
| 1962 | 4,233 | #95 |
| 1961 | 4,448 | #94 |
| 1960 | 4,679 | #92 |
| 1959 | 4,943 | #87 |
| 1958 | 5,149 | #84 |
| 1957 | 5,752 | #74 |
| 1956 | 5,955 | #72 |
| 1955 | 6,096 | #63 |
| 1954 | 6,359 | #60 |
| 1953 | 6,580 | #56 |
| 1952 | 6,957 | #51 |
| 1951 | 7,178 | #46 |
| 1950 | 7,214 | #45 |
| 1949 | 7,817 | #42 |
| 1948 | 8,144 | #36 |
| 1947 | 8,904 | #35 |
| 1946 | 8,373 | #33 |
| 1945 | 7,524 | #28 |
| 1944 | 7,980 | #27 |
| 1943 | 8,670 | #27 |
| 1942 | 8,582 | #27 |
| 1941 | 8,102 | #24 |
| 1940 | 8,080 | #23 |
| 1939 | 8,299 | #23 |
| 1938 | 8,563 | #23 |
| 1937 | 8,550 | #21 |
| 1936 | 8,628 | #21 |
| 1935 | 9,170 | #20 |
| 1934 | 9,926 | #18 |
| 1933 | 9,543 | #18 |
| 1932 | 10,433 | #18 |
| 1931 | 10,695 | #18 |
| 1930 | 11,660 | #18 |
| 1929 | 11,677 | #16 |
| 1928 | 12,670 | #14 |
| 1927 | 13,226 | #14 |
| 1926 | 13,310 | #14 |
| 1925 | 13,597 | #14 |
| 1924 | 14,149 | #13 |
| 1923 | 13,874 | #13 |
| 1922 | 13,593 | #13 |
| 1921 | 13,811 | #12 |
| 1920 | 13,678 | #12 |
| 1919 | 12,021 | #13 |
| 1918 | 12,185 | #13 |
| 1917 | 11,194 | #12 |
| 1916 | 10,698 | #13 |
| 1915 | 10,444 | #12 |
| 1914 | 7,563 | #14 |
| 1913 | 6,157 | #13 |
| 1912 | 5,102 | #13 |
| 1911 | 2,448 | #16 |
| 1910 | 1,909 | #18 |
| 1909 | 1,725 | #16 |
| 1908 | 1,542 | #17 |
| 1907 | 1,452 | #17 |
| 1906 | 1,330 | #17 |
| 1905 | 1,258 | #20 |
| 1904 | 1,186 | #20 |
| 1903 | 1,065 | #20 |
| 1902 | 1,077 | #19 |
| 1901 | 915 | #21 |
| 1900 | 1,245 | #20 |
| 1899 | 914 | #19 |
| 1898 | 963 | #22 |
| 1897 | 860 | #21 |
| 1896 | 862 | #23 |
| 1895 | 753 | #29 |
| 1894 | 690 | #32 |
| 1893 | 566 | #34 |
| 1892 | 583 | #37 |
| 1891 | 419 | #42 |
| 1890 | 408 | #46 |
| 1889 | 340 | #57 |
| 1888 | 298 | #69 |
| 1887 | 279 | #61 |
| 1886 | 224 | #78 |
| 1885 | 201 | #82 |
| 1884 | 191 | #85 |
| 1883 | 108 | #117 |
| 1882 | 127 | #115 |
| 1881 | 120 | #106 |
| 1880 | 113 | #116 |
Nicknames for Harold
Names like Harold
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Wilfred Alfred Edward Harry Arthur William Henry Frederick Thomas Albert George Stanley
Names related to Harold
More Old English names
Alfie Teddy Waylon Audrey Edith Ozzy Edie Eddie Edwin Ted Teddie Eduardo Edgar Alden Edmund Kelsey