Harold is an English

personal name A personal name, full name or prosoponym (from Ancient Greek ''prósōpon'' – person, and ''onoma'' –name) is the set of names by which an individual person or animal is known. When taken together as a word-group, they all relate to that on ...

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

Modern English Modern English, sometimes called New English (NE) or present-day English (PDE) as opposed to Middle and Old English, is the form of the English language that has been spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England England is a Count ...

via the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

from Hereweald, which retained the same meaning and was prevalent in

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

England. The name's popularity in

Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

England would also have been bolstered by the use of the Old Norse form Haraldr among Scandinavian settlers in the

Danelaw The Danelaw (, ; ; ) was the part of History of Anglo-Saxon England, England between the late ninth century and the Norman Conquest under Anglo-Saxon rule in which Danes (tribe), Danish laws applied. The Danelaw originated in the conquest and oc ...

Ancient

Chariovalda Chariovalda (Proto-Germanic *''Harjawalda(z)'') was a Batavian chieftain who participated in the Roman retaliation campaign (from 14-16 AD) against a Germanic alliance in the aftermath of the disaster at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Chario ...

(d. 16), Batavian chieftain and Roman ally, killed near the

River Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Br ...

Medieval

* Hagrold (fl. 944–954), also known as Harold, Scandinavian chieftain in Normandy *

Harold Harefoot Harold Harefoot or Harold I (died 17 March 1040) was regent of Kingdom of England, England from 1035 to 1037 and King of the English from 1037 to 1040. Harold's nickname "Harefoot" is first recorded as "Harefoh" or "Harefah" in the twelfth cen ...

, or Harold I (c. 1015–1040), King of England from 1035 to 1040 *

Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman ...

, or Harold II (c. 1022–1066), the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and

Earl of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Norman Conquest, Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex ( ...

* Harold, son of Harold Godwinson (fl. 1067–1098) * Mstislav-Harald I Monomakh Grand Prince of Kyiv (1076–1132), grandson of Harold Godwinson, son of his daughter Gytha of Wessex *

Harold of Gloucester Harold of Gloucester (died 1168) was a supposed child martyr who was falsely claimed by Benedictine monks to have been ritually murdered by Jews in Gloucester, England, in 1168. The claims arose in the aftermath of the circulation of the f ...

(died 1168), supposed child martyr and saint, allegedly murdered by Jews *

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair (; – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first Monarchy of Norway, King of Norway. Supposedly, two ...

(850-932), the first King of Norway *

Arioald Arioald was the Lombard king of Italy from 626 to 636. Duke of Turin, he married the princess Gundeberga, daughter of King Agilulf and his queen Theodelinda. He was, unlike his father-in-law, an Arian who did not accept Catholicism. Arioald ...

, king of the Lombards

Modern name

Harold Abrahams Harold Maurice Abrahams (15 December 1899 – 14 January 1978) was an English track and field athlete. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 film '' Chariots of Fire''. Early life and educati ...

, British Olympic champion sprinter and subject of ''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 historical drama, historical Sports film, sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Summer ...

'' * Harold Achor (1907–1967), Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court *

Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969), was a senior and highly decorated British Army officer who served in both of the world wars. ...

, British Army officer who served with distinction in both the First World War and the Second World War and, afterwards, as

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

, the 17th since Canadian Confederation * Harold Arroyo, Puerto Rican boxer * Harold Bailey (gridiron football) (born 1957), American football player * Harold Walter Bailey (1899–1996), British linguist *

Harold Baines Harold Douglas Baines (born March 15, 1959) is an American former designated hitter and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for five American League (AL) teams from 1980 to 2001, and is best known for his three stints with the Chi ...

(born 1959), American baseball player * Harold Baker (photographer) (1860–1942), British photographer *

Harold Baker (politician) Harold Trevor Baker (22 January 1877 – 12 July 1960) was a British scholar, barrister, and Liberal politician. Early life Baker was born on Portsea Island, the son of Louisa and Sir John Baker, MP for Portsmouth. He was educated at Winch ...

(1877–1960), British politician, Financial Secretary to the War Office 1912–1915 * H. A. Baker (1881–1971), American author and Pentecostal missionary * Harold Baker (cricketer) (1884–1954), English cricketer * Shorty Baker (1914–1966), American jazz musician * Harold Baker (judge) (born 1929), federal judge on United States District Courts in Illinois * George Harold Baker (1877–1916), lawyer, political figure, and soldier from Quebec, Canada * Harold Brooks-Baker (1933–2005), American-British financier, journalist, and publisher, and self-proclaimed expert on

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

* Harold Bekkering (born 1965), Dutch cognitive psychologist *

Harold Bloom Harold Bloom (July 11, 1930 – October 14, 2019) was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world". Af ...

, American literary critic *

Harold Budd Harold Montgomory Budd (May 24, 1936December 8, 2020) was an American music composer and poet. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Mojave Desert, he became a respected composer in the minimal music and avant-garde scene of Southern California ...

(1936–2020), American composer and poet * Harold Cobert (born 1974), French writer * Harold Craxton (1885–1971), British composer and pianist *

Harold Camping Harold Egbert Camping (July 19, 1921December 15, 2013) was an American Christian radio broadcaster and evangelism, evangelist. Beginning in 1958, he served as president of Family Radio, a California-based radio station group that, at its peak, b ...

(1921–2013), President of Family Radio * Hal Daub (born 1941), American politician * Harold Danko (born 1947), American jazz pianist *

Harold Demsetz Harold Demsetz (; May 31, 1930 – January 4, 2019) was an American professor of economics at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Career Demsetz grew up on the West Side of Chicago, the grandchild of Jewish immigrants from centr ...

(1930–2019), American economist * Harold de Soysa (1907–1971), first indigenous Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka * Harold Diamond (1926–1982), American art dealer * Harold Ely (1909–1983), American football player *

Harold Faltermeyer Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeyer (born 5 October 1952) is a German musician, composer and record producer. Faltermeyer is best known for composing the " Axel F" theme for the feature film '' Beverly Hills Cop'', an influential synth-pop hit in the ...

(born 1952), German musician * Harold Fannin Jr. (born 2004), American football player * Harold H. Fisher, (1901–2005), American church architect * Harold Ford Jr., U.S. Congressman, candidate for U.S. Senate * Harold Frost (1921–2004), American orthopedist and surgeon * Harold Goldsmith (1930–2004), American fencer * Harold "Red" Grange (1903-1991), American football player * Harold Hart (born 1952), American football player * Harold Helgeson (1931–2007), American geochemist * Harold Herath (1930–2007), Sri Lanka Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991-1993 *

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' while studying at Denison University. H ...

(1925–2021), American actor *

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until Disappearance of Harold Holt, his disappearance and presumed death in 1967. He held o ...

, Australian Prime Minister * Harold Holt (impresario), South African-English impresario * Harold Houser, American admiral and 35th Governor of American Samoa * Harold Guy Hunt (1933–2009), American politician * Hal Jeffcoat (1924–2007), American baseball player * Harold George Jeffcoat (born 1947), American academic * Harold A. Jerry Jr. (1920–2001), New York politician * Harold Keller (1921–1979), American Marine and Iwo Jima flag raiser * Harold La Borde, Trinidadian circumnavigator * Harold Landry (born 1996), American football player *

Hal Lindsey Harold Lee Lindsey (November 23, 1929 – November 25, 2024) was an American evangelical writer and television host. He wrote a series of popular apocalyptic books – beginning with '' The Late Great Planet Earth'' (1970) – asserting that th ...

(born 1929), American evangelist and Christian writer *

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many Silent film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influent ...

, American film actor * Harold C. Luther (1915–1973), New York politician * Harold MacMichael (1882–1969), British Colonial administrator *

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

, Prime Minister of Great Britain * Hal Malchow (1951–2024), political consultant * Harold C. Marden (1900–1994), American lawyer and judge * Harold McCartney, English rugby player * Harold B. Minor (1902–1984), American diplomat * Harold A. Moise (1879–1958), associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court * Harold James Nicholson, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer and a twice-convicted spy for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) *

Harold Nicolson Sir Harold George Nicolson (21 November 1886 – 1 May 1968) was a British politician, writer, broadcaster and gardener. His wife was Vita Sackville-West. Early life and education Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the youngest son of dipl ...

, British diplomat, author, diarist, and politician * Harold Norse, American poet * Harold I. Panken (1910–1999), New York state senator * Harold Peiris (1904–1988), Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer, author, scholar, teacher, and philanthropist *

Harold Perrineau Harold Perrineau (born August 7, 1963) is an American actor. His breakout role was in the independent film ''Smoke'' (1995), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He went on to appear as Mercutio ...

, American actor *

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

(1930–2008), British playwright *

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th-century theat ...

(1928–2019), American theatrical producer and director *

Harold Ramis Harold Allen Ramis ( ; November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His film acting roles include Egon Spengler in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984) and ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), and as Russell Ziskey in '' St ...

(1944–2014), American film actor, director, writer and producer * Harold Reynolds (disambiguation), multiple people * Harold S. Roise (1916–1991), American Marine officer, double Navy Cross recipient *

Harold G. Schrier Harold George Schrier born " Harold George Schreier"(October 17, 1916 – June 3, 1971) was a United States Marine Corps Lieutenant colonel (United States), lieutenant colonel who served in World War II and the Korean War. In World War II, he was ...

(1916–1971), American Marine officer and Iwo Jima flag raiser * Harold Schultz (1925–1995), American Marine and Iwo Jima flag raiser *

Harold Shipman Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English doctor in general practice and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern ...

(1946-2004), British general practitioner and serial killer * Harold Seymour (1910–1992), American baseball historian * Harold Solomon (born 1952), American tennis player * Harold St. John (1892-1991), American botanist * Harold St. John Loyd Winterbotham (1879–1946), British surveyor and soldier * Hal Steinbrenner (born 1969), principal owner, managing general partner and co-chairman of the New York Yankees baseball franchise * Harold Syrett (1913–1984), American executive editor of ''The Papers of Alexander Hamilton'', and president of Brooklyn College * J. E. Harold Terry, English novelist, playwright, actor and critic * Harold Traynor (1922–1983), Australian rules footballer * Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor (1898–1972), American baseball player * Harold Tucker, Lord Mayor of Manchester, England, from 1984–1985 * Harold I. Tyler (1901–1967), New York assemblyman * Harold R. Tyler Jr. (1922–2005), federal judge in New York *

Harold Urey Harold Clayton Urey ( ; April 29, 1893 – January 5, 1981) was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 for the discovery of deuterium. He played a significant role in the ...

(1893–1981), American physical chemist *

Hal B. Wallis Harold B. Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and '' True Grit'' (1969), along wit ...

(1898–1986), American film producer * Harold Walker (disambiguation), several people *

Harold Washington Harold Lee Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st mayor of Chicago. In April 1983, Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city’s mayor at the age of ...

, first African-American mayor of Chicago * Harold Weed, digital artist * Harold E. Weeks, American politician * Harold Wellman (1909–1999), New Zealand geologist *

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (11 March 1916 – 23 May 1995) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1964 to 1970 and again from 197 ...

, British Prime Minister * Harold Wren (1921–2016), American dean of three law schools * Harold "Butch" Wynegar (born 1956), baseball player * Harold Zent (1900–1951), member of the Washington House of Representatives

Fictional characters

*Harold the Helicopter, a character from the British television series '' Thomas and Friends'' *Harold, from Carl The Collector * Healthy Harold, an Australian Giraffe sock puppet early educating Australian primary school children * Harold Allnut, from the ''Batman'' comic series * Harold Berman, from the Nickelodeon animated series ''Hey Arnold!'' * Harold Bishop, from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' *Harold Buttowski, from the Disney XD animated series '' Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil'' *Harold Chasen, from the film American black-comedy and drama '' Harold and Maude'' * Harold Foster, a multibillionaire

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n newspaper company chairman from

Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include the '' Alex Rider'' series featuring a 14-year-old British boy who spi ...

's ''Power of Five'' series * Harold Green, Red Green's nephew on ''The Red Green Show'' * Harold Hill, from the musical and movie ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'' * Harold Hutchins, a main character in the ''Captain Underpants'' book series * Harold "Hal" Jordan, a fictional DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern *Harold "Stretch" Joseph, an antagonist from the video game ''

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

'' * Harold Lauder, from

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

's '' The Stand'' *Harold Lee, from American film series '' Harold & Kumar'' * Harold "Happy" Loman, from the American stage play ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a ...

'' * Harold McBride, a supporting character from the animated series ''

The Loud House ''The Loud House'' is an American animated sitcom created by Chris Savino that premiered on Nickelodeon on May 2, 2016. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only son in a ...

'' * Harold Saxon, an alias of The Master from the British science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'' * Harold Smith, from the 1990s television drama

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Surrealist cinema, surrealist Mystery film, mystery-Horror film, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It Pilot (Twin Peaks), premiered on American Broad ...

*Judge Harold "Harry" T. Stone in the TV series ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 4, 1984, and ended on May 31, 1992, after nine seasons consisting of List of Night Court episodes, 193 episodes. The show is set in the night shift of a Manhattan ...

'' *Harold SquarePants, SpongeBob's father and Margaret’s husband from American television series ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...

'' *Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V, from the Canadian animated series ''

Total Drama ''Total Drama'' (often shortened as ''TD'') is a Canadian animated sitcom created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis that premiered on Teletoon (now the Canadian version of Cartoon Network (Canadian TV channel), Cartoon Network) in Canada on ...

'' *Harold, from the Cartoon Network animated series '' The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'' *Harold, from the British television series ''

Thomas & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on ''The Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, the series was developed for ...

'' *Harold, from the animated musical ''

All Dogs Go to Heaven ''All Dogs Go to Heaven'' is a 1989 animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman (his directorial debut) and Dan Kuenster. Set in New Orleans in 1939, it tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin ...

'' *Harold, a character from the animated

Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...

film ''

Elemental An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemy, alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsu ...

'' *Harold, a character played by

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...

in the 1993 crime comedy-drama film '' Mad Dog and Glory'' *

Harold and the Purple Crayon ''Harold and the Purple Crayon'' is a 1955 Children's literature, children's picture book written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson. Published by HarperCollins Publishers, it is Johnson's most popular book, and has led to a series of other rel ...

from the children's books by Crockett Johnson * Hide the Pain Harold, a fictional identity in

meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...

images based on photos of Hungarian engineer András Arató * King Harold of Far Far Away, from the films ''

Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Sti ...

'' (2004) and ''

Shrek the Third ''Shrek the Third'' (also known as ''Shrek 3'') is a 2007 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Chris Miller and co-directed by Raman Hui from a sc ...

'' (2007) *Childe Harold, from the Byron poem ''

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage ''Childe Harold's Pilgrimage: A Romaunt'' is a long narrative poem in four parts written by Lord Byron. The poem was published between 1812 and 1818. Dedicated to " Ianthe", it describes the travels and reflections of a young man disillusioned ...

References

{{given name Danish masculine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names Irish masculine given names Scottish masculine given names Norwegian masculine given names Swedish masculine given names

Ancient

Medieval

Modern name

Fictional characters

See also

References