Harold
Harold is a boy name of Norse origin, meaning Army ruler; a leader.
What Harold means
Army ruler; a leader.
Harold sits at 6 letters, and ends on a consonant, which gives it a firmer stop.
Where Harold comes from
Old Norse names are usually compounds drawn from the natural world, from battle, or from the gods, carried across northern Europe by Scandinavian settlement.
Harold is recorded as Norse in origin. Browse other Norse names.
How popular is Harold?
In the boy name rankings we track, Harold falls outside the top 100. That puts it in the broad middle ground where most names live: familiar to those who know it, uncommon enough to still feel like a choice.
The character of Harold
Harold spans courage and battle and strength, which is why it can read differently depending on which association you notice first. Both threads are worth following.
Names like Harold
These share Harold's themes, origin, or both — closest first.
- Sigurd — Guardian of victory.
- Harvey — Battle-worthy and strong.
- Hector — Holding fast; steadfast defender.
- Liam — Strong-willed warrior and protector.
- Takeshi — Fierce, strong warrior.
- Achilles — The great warrior hero.
- Ares — God of war.
- Cathal — Battle ruler; strong.
- Ettore — Steadfast defender.
- Gerald — Ruler with the spear.
- Oskar — Spear of the gods.
- Perseus — Destroyer; heroic slayer.
More Norse names
- Gunnar — Bold warrior.
- Ingrid — Beautiful, beloved (of the god Ing).
- Gerda — Protection; enclosure.
- Leif — Heir; descendant.
- Freya — Noble lady; Norse goddess of love.
- Liv — Life; protection.
- Erik — Eternal ruler.
- Odin — All-father; god of wisdom and war.
- Embla — Elm; the first woman.
- Ralph — Wolf counsel; wise wolf.