boys' name ★ peaked 1924

Harold

Meaning army Gender Boy Rank 2025 #993 Trend → Stable

From a merger of Old English Hereweald and Old English Harold (itself from Old Norse Haraldr), both from Proto-Germanic *Harjawaldaz, from *harjaz (“army”) +‎ *waldaz…

Rank 2025
#993
among boys · ↓4 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
230
named Harold · +1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,426
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1924
14,230 babies
All-time total
554,280
#61 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Harold popularity over time

554,280 babies have been named Harold since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
3.757.511.251518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 2,001 2,001 200 – #57
1890s 34 7,018 7,052 705 +252% #19
1900s 54 12,795 12,849 1,285 +82% #16
1910s 367 79,721 80,088 8,009 +523% #12
1920s 807 133,585 134,392 13,439 +68% #12
1930s 431 95,467 95,898 9,590 -29% #18
1940s 276 82,176 82,452 8,245 -14% #23
1950s 223 62,183 62,406 6,241 -24% #45
1960s 194 36,744 36,938 3,694 -41% #92
1970s 155 17,587 17,742 1,774 -52% #122
1980s 94 9,183 9,277 928 -48% #207
1990s 7 5,518 5,525 553 -40% #324
2000s 6 3,472 3,478 348 -37% #538
2010s – 2,748 2,748 275 -21% #745
2020s (to 2025) – 1,434 1,434 239 -13% #914

Where Harold is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 226 0.13 outside top 500
2027 223 0.13 outside top 500
2028 221 0.13 outside top 500
2029 218 0.13 outside top 500
2030 217 0.13 outside top 500

Where Harold is most popular

Boys named Harold per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.138 per 1,000. Strongest in Wisconsin, Colorado, and Washington.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Harold born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Wisconsin 34 0.287 +107%
Colorado 34 0.263 +90%
Washington 40 0.244 +77%
Massachusetts 29 0.211 +52%
Michigan 37 0.181 +30%
Louisiana 17 0.166 +20%
Illinois 42 0.164 +19%
New Jersey 32 0.159 +15%
Minnesota 19 0.155 +12%
New York 65 0.150 +8%
Kentucky 15 0.149 +8%
Missouri 20 0.144 ≈ national
Ohio 38 0.143 ≈ national
Arizona 23 0.141 ≈ national
Tennessee 25 0.138 ≈ national
Georgia 34 0.134 ≈ national
Indiana 21 0.131 -5%
Florida 62 0.131 -5%
Virginia 24 0.126 -9%
Texas 111 0.126 -9%
Alabama 13 0.119 -14%
North Carolina 29 0.114 -18%
South Carolina 11 0.106 -23%
Pennsylvania 27 0.102 -27%
California 77 0.084 -39%
Connecticut 5 0.074 -47%
Kansas 5 0.073 -47%
Oklahoma 6 0.068 -51%
Oregon 5 0.066 -52%
Utah 6 0.063 -55%
Maryland 7 0.059 -58%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Harold

Harold is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #993 in 2025 with 230 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 554,280 American babies have been named Harold. Its peak came in 1924, when 14,230 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Harold stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Harold?

The median living Harold is about 70 years old; half are between 58 and 79. An estimated 173 thousand people named Harold are alive in the United States today.

median 70 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Harold year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 230 #993
2024 – – 227 #989
2023 – – 253 #914
2022 – – 250 #925
2021 – – 236 #955
2020 – – 238 #932
2019 – – 279 #815
2018 – – 284 #797
2017 – – 286 #800
2016 – – 288 #802
2015 – – 283 #809
2014 – – 272 #830
2013 – – 234 #892
2012 – – 261 #836
2011 – – 256 #841
2010 – – 305 #745
2009 – – 266 #825
2008 – – 312 #735
2007 – – 350 #681
2006 – – 356 #650
2005 – – 349 #627
2004 6 #14,814 350 #613
2003 – – 343 #611
2002 – – 363 #588
2001 – – 377 #556
2000 – – 406 #538
1995 – – 519 #441
1990 – – 771 #324
1985 12 #5,780 857 #259
1980 12 #5,647 1,189 #207
1975 18 #3,679 1,587 #153
1970 20 #3,242 2,726 #122
1965 29 #2,220 3,539 #99
1960 27 #2,265 4,679 #92
1955 29 #1,995 6,096 #63
1950 22 #2,078 7,214 #45
1945 23 #1,769 7,524 #28
1940 35 #1,256 8,080 #23
1935 42 #1,078 9,170 #20
1930 68 #870 11,660 #18
1925 86 #796 13,597 #14
1920 66 #896 13,678 #12
1915 44 #1,004 10,444 #12
1910 12 #1,374 1,909 #18
1905 8 #1,470 1,258 #20
1900 7 #1,636 1,245 #20
1895 9 #1,158 753 #29
1890 – – 408 #47
1885 – – 201 #82
1880 – – 113 #116

Famous people named Harold

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson King of England in 1066 1022–1066 · Medieval
  2. 2 Harold Wilson Harold Wilson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1964–1970, 1974–1976) 1916–1995 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Harold Shipman Harold Shipman English doctor and serial killer (1946–2004) Contemporary
  4. 4 Harold Ramis Harold Ramis American actor, comedian, and filmmaker (1944–2014) Contemporary
  5. 5 Harold Macmillan Harold Macmillan Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963 1894–1986 · 19th century
  6. 6 Harold Holt Harold Holt Prime Minister of Australia from 1966 to 1967 1908–1967 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Harold Pinter Harold Pinter English playwright (1930–2008) Contemporary
  8. 8 Harold Gould Harold Gould American actor (1923–2010) Contemporary
  9. 9 Harold Lloyd Harold Lloyd American actor and comedian (1893–1971) 19th century
  10. 10 Harold Bloom Harold Bloom American critic, scholar, and writer (1930–2019) Contemporary
  11. 11 Harold Harefoot Harold Harefoot King of England from 1037 to 1040 1016–1040 · Medieval
  12. 12 Harold Sakata Harold Sakata American Olympian, wrestler, and actor (1920–1982) Contemporary
  13. 13 Harold Lowe Harold Lowe Fifth officer of RMS Titanic (1882–1944) 19th century
  14. 14 Harold Abrahams Harold Abrahams English track and field athlete (1899-1978) 19th century
  15. 15 Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis British field marshal; Governor General of Canada (1891–1969) 19th century
  16. 16 Harold Arlen Harold Arlen American composer (1905–1986) Contemporary
  17. 17 Harold Bride Harold Bride British radio telegraphist and Titanic survivor (1890–1956) 19th century
  18. 18 Harold Faltermeyer Harold Faltermeyer German musician (born 1952) Contemporary
  19. 19 Harold Robbins Harold Robbins American author (1916–1997) Contemporary
  20. 20 Harold Laski Harold Laski English political theorist (1893–1950) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Harold, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Harold?

The median living Harold is about 70 years old. Half of all living Harolds are between 58 and 79 years old.

How many people named Harold are alive today?

An estimated 173 thousand people named Harold are alive in the United States, based on 554,280 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Harold mean?

From a merger of Old English Hereweald and Old English Harold (itself from Old Norse Haraldr), both from Proto-Germanic *Harjawaldaz, from *harjaz (“army”) +‎ *waldaz (“ruler, authority”).

How popular is the name Harold in 2025?

Harold ranked #993 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 230 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Harold?

554,280 babies have been named Harold in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Harold most popular?

Harold peaked in 1924, when 14,230 newborns received the name.

Is Harold a boy or girl name?

Harold is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Harold rising or falling?

Harold has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Harold become more popular?

Harold looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 217 boys named Harold in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Harold?

Well-known people named Harold include Harold Godwinson (politician), Harold Wilson (politician), Harold Shipman (extremist).

Names like Harold

Names that sound and feel close to Harold: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Harold with similar names → More names starting with H →