Harold
Boy name · #992 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 230 baby boys were named Harold, placing it at #992 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #808, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,826 boys born in 2025 was named Harold.
Babies named Harold per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Harold first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 113 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 14,149 boys were named Harold — good for #13 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Harold against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Harold in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Harold is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Harold will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Harold is most common
Geography matters for names, and Harold is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Harold is most common in VA (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Harold is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Harold
Statistically, parents drawn to Harold tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Arnold, Howard, Donald, Alfred, and Gerald.
ArnoldHowardDonaldAlfredGeraldBernardEdmundEugene
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Harold | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 230 | #991 |
| 2024 | 227 | #988 |
| 2023 | 253 | #914 |
| 2022 | 250 | #923 |
| 2021 | 236 | #954 |
| 2020 | 238 | #932 |
| 2019 | 279 | #815 |
| 2018 | 284 | #796 |
| 2017 | 286 | #798 |
| 2016 | 288 | #802 |
| 2015 | 283 | #808 |
| 2014 | 272 | #829 |
| 2013 | 234 | #889 |
| 2012 | 261 | #836 |
| 2011 | 256 | #841 |
| 2010 | 305 | #744 |
| 2009 | 266 | #825 |
| 2008 | 312 | #733 |
| 2007 | 350 | #680 |
| 2006 | 356 | #650 |
| 2005 | 349 | #627 |
| 2004 | 350 | #613 |
| 2003 | 343 | #609 |
| 2002 | 363 | #588 |
| 2001 | 377 | #556 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Harold a popular boy name?
Harold ranked #992 among boys in 2025 with 230 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #808.
When was the name Harold most popular?
Harold peaked in 1924, when 14,149 American boys received the name (ranked #13 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Harold?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,826 newborn American boys was named Harold. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.