Boy · #967 in 2026

Harold

Name: Popularity of the name Harold in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Harold, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Harold is an English personal name. The modern name Harold ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic *harja-waldaz, meaning 'military-power' or 'army-ruler'. The name entered Modern English via the Old English from Hereweald, which retained the same meaning and was prevalent in Anglo-Saxon England.

Current Rank

#967

Peak Rank

#12 (1924)

Total Babies

552K

5-Yr Trend

-9%

1893

First Year

2004

Last Year

1927

Peak Year

#723

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Harold

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Harold

Harold first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 113 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 14,149 Harolds were born — ranking #13 that year. As of 2026, Harold ranks #967 for baby boys with 235 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 552K Harolds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Harold

Phonetically similar names — useful when Harold is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Herald
Herold
Harrold
Harald
Hareld
Wereld
Herod
Harrell
Heralds
Harrod
Harod
Harel

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Harold

What does the name Harold mean?

How popular is Harold in 2026?

In 2026, Harold ranks #967 among boys' names in the U.S., with 235 babies given the name that year.

When was Harold most popular?

Harold reached its peak popularity in 1924, ranking #12 that year with 14,149 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Harold most popular?

Harold has historically been most popular in Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Harold.

Is Harold a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Harold is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Harold?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Harold include Paul, Ezra, Zachary. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Harold

Harold is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 552K births in the dataset. Harold's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #12. Use the chart and map above to compare Harold's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.