Harold
2025 SSA
About Harold
The name of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman conquest, and a name that's long been associated with a pipe-smoking, bespectacled grandpa or uncle.
After years in style limbo, Harold is slowly making a comeback, possibly boosted by cheerful nicknames like Harry and Hal. Filmmaking couple Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have a son named Harold.
Pronounced HAR-uld.
As of October 2026, Harold ranked #993 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #12 in 1920, Nameberry popularity #494.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #830 | 272 | 141.6 |
| 2015 | #809 | 283 | 147.6 |
| 2016 | #802 | 288 | 151.8 |
| 2017 | #800 | 286 | 154.5 |
| 2018 | #797 | 284 | 156.4 |
| 2019 | #815 | 279 | 155.5 |
| 2020 | #932 | 238 | 137.9 |
| 2021 | #956 | 235 | 134.3 |
| 2022 | #925 | 250 | 143.2 |
| 2023 | #921 | 250 | 146.1 |
| 2024 | #988 | 227 | 131.8 |
| 2025 | #993 | 230 | 134.7 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Harold.
- Bernard
- Howard
- Gilbert
- Fred
- Ralph
- Frank
- Arnold
- Leonard
- Clifford
- Stanley
- Roger
- Norman
- Herbert
- Reginald
- Ned
- Albert
- Clarence
- Eugene
- Douglas
- Seymour
Harold on lists
Famous Harolds
- Harold I aka Harold Harefoot
King of England
- Harold II aka Harold Godwinson
last Anglo,Saxon King of England
- (James) Harold Wilson
Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, British prime minister
- (Maurice) Harold Macmillan
1st Earl of Stockton, British prime minister
- Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck)
American composer ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow")
- Harold Pinter
English playwright
- Harold Clayton Lloyd
American actor
- Harold Scott MacDonald "Donald" Coxeter
British,Canadian geometer
- Harold Perrineau (born Harold Williams)
American actor
- Harold Edward Holt
Australian Prime Minister
- Harold Norse
American poet
- Harold Allen Ramis
American actor and director
- Harold Bloom
American literary critic
- Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander
1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, British field marshal and Governor,General of Canada
- Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach
American film producer, director, actor
- Harold John "Hal" Smith
American actor and voice actor
Harold in pop culture
- Harold "Hal" Jordan
Green Lantern from DC Universe
- Harold Hill
main character in "The Music Man"
- Harold Chasen
main character in movie "Harold & Maude"
- Harold "Happy" Hogan
character in Marvel Universe
- Harold "Hal" Cooper
character in Archie Comics Universe
- "Harold and the Purple Crayon
" children's book by Crockett Johnson
- Harold Skimpole
character in Dickens's Bleak House
- Harold Abbott
character on TV's "Everwood"
- Harold Saxon
code name of The Master on TV's "Doctor Who"
- Harold Crenshaw
character on TV's "Monk"
- Harold Guppy
character in the movie "Intimate Relations"
- Harold Clemens
character on TV's "The Client List"
- Harold Berman
school bully from animated TV series "Hey Arnold!"
- Harold Waldorf
father of Blair Waldorf from CW's "Gossip Girl".
- Harold Travilla
Elsie Dinsmore's son in the Elsie Dinsmore series
- Harold Wilson
main character in G. A. Henty's "True to the Old Flag"
- Harold Bloor
character in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
- Harold Finch
character on TV's "Person of Interest"
- Harold Goff
character in film "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
- "The Harold Song
" song by Ke$ha
- Harold Stein
character in Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life”
- Harold Anderson
character in the 2000 science fiction comedy film "What Planet Are You From?"
- Harold "Harry" T. Stone
main character & Judge on the NBC sitcom "Night Court" played by Harry Anderson