Harold
Harold comes from the Old Norse "Haraldr" — "hari" (army) and "valdr" (ruler) — meaning "army ruler." King Harold II (c.1022-1066) was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, killed at the Battle of Hastings by William the Conqueror. The name has been used in England since the Anglo-Saxon period. Harold was a top-50 American name from 1880 to 1960, peaking at #12 in 1921. Harold (the actor Harold Lloyd, 1893-1971, one of the greatest silent film comedians) gave the name Hollywood prestige. Harold (the playwright Harold Pinter, 1930-2008, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005) gave the name literary weight. I find Harold has a serious, slightly mid-century quality — the "H" opening is gentle, the "r" gives it weight, and the "ld" cluster gives it density. The nickname Hal (as in Hal Holbrook) lightens it considerably. Harold has been outside the US top 500 since 2015. Harold is a male name of Old Norse origin that means "Army ruler". Serious, mid-century, and historic. The name sounds direct. Harolds tend to be steady. US peaked #12 in 1921. Outside top 500 since 2015. Well-known people named Harold include King Harold II of England, Harold Lloyd (actor), Harold Pinter (playwright), Harold (Old Norse name). Common variations and related forms of Harold include Harald (Scandinavian), Haraldr (Old Norse), Hal (nickname), Harry (nickname, related).