Harold

Primarily a boy's name · 100% boys

Meaning

Harold is an English personal name. The modern name Harold ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic *harja-waldaz, meaning 'military-power' or 'army-ruler'.

From Wikipedia

Harold first appears in the data in 1952 and has been recorded in 6 different years as a boy's name. Its single biggest year was 1952 with 66 babies (rank #88 that year). It was not in the 2025 data. The name has been declining over the last five years.

Numerology of Harold

In Pythagorean numerology, every letter has a value from 1 to 9. Adding the letters of Harold yields these three numbers — a playful read on the name's character.

4Destiny numberThe builderPractical, steady, gets results through hard work.Sum of every letter. The overall character a name carries.
7Soul urgeThe seekerIntrospective, analytical, drawn to the unknown.Sum of the vowels — what's said to drive the heart.
6PersonalityThe carerNurturing, responsible, family at the centre.Sum of the consonants — the outer impression.

125

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

Peak in a single year

Popularity Over Time — Boys

Also a character in

In The Crown: Harold Macmillan / Wilson — successive Prime Ministers

Famous people named Harold

Harold Pinternovelist · b. 1930
Harold Macmillanleader · b. 1894
Harold Wilsonstatistician · b. 1916
Harold Ureyphysical chemist · b. 1893
Harold Lloydfilm actor · b. 1893

Share your Harold story

Why did you choose this name — or what does it mean to you? Approved stories appear on this page.

More popular boys' names

Other boys' names starting with H

Year-by-Year Detail

Rank is among all boys' names registered that year.

Year	Babies	Rank
1952	66	#88
1953	54	#99
2014	1	#1,357
2015	1	#1,340
2016	1	#1,355
2017	2	#619