NameChart

Arnold

Boy name

Arnold has been given to 104,396 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1924.

Meaning & origin /ˈɑːnəld/

From a French version of a Germanic name, from Proto-West Germanic *Arnuwald, from Proto-Germanic *arô (“eagle”) + *waldą (“power”). For the first part of the word doublet of erne, ornis, and ornitho-API. Compare the Latin male given name and cognomen Aquila, and female given name Aquilīna (whence Russian Акули́на (Akulína)), related to aquila (whence eagle).

Origin: Germanic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

05041.007k1.511k2.014k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

104,396

Peak year

1924 (2,031 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +26%

Gender split

1% girls / 99% boys

Famous people named Arnold

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Austrian and American actor, bodybuilder, and politician (born 1947)

Arnold Schoenberg

Austrian-Jewish American composer (1874-1951)

Arnold J. Toynbee

British historian (1889–1975)

Arnold Sommerfeld

German physicist (1868-1951)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Arnold.

Get new name insights first

Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.