Harold

Did you know?

A few things about Harold you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Harold

Harold Pinter

British playwright (1930–2008)

Choose Harold and your child shares a first name with Harold Pinter, a British playwright. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Harold, like who?” Harold Pinter's Wikipedia article is available in 113 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Harold Pinter on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Jack de Nijs for Anefo, CC0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 7,424 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Harold, 230 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Harold would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryHarold has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Harolds, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1921, when it ranked #12. Today it's #991, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendHarold has slipped 59 places over the last five years and now sits at #991. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedHarold is most popular in Connecticut, where it ranks #498, followed by Wisconsin (#523) and Massachusetts (#620). It's in the top 1,000 in 16 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Harold means “army ruler”. Our records link it to English and Scandinavian roots.

About the name Harold

Harold is a boy name of English and Scandinavian origin meaning “army ruler”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with H and ending in “-old”. US birth records list Harold for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1921, when it ranked #12 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #991, with 230 babies.

Origin:English namesScandinavian names