Boy name · Germanic
Archibald
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: genuinely boldArchibald is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "genuinely bold". It is used in Scottish and English.
- Meaning
- Genuinely bold
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1145 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Archibald
As a boy's name, Archibald comes from Germanic and means "genuinely bold". It is used in Scottish and English.
Archibald is also a surname: the 4,040th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 8,535 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Archibald on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Archibald on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Archibald on 8 lists.
“Perfect for someone who loves a good cardigan”
From Funny middle names, grand old-fashioned middle names
“A stately name for a modern helper”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, butler and assistant-style names
“Germanic for genuine and bold; a dashing old classic”
From Boy cat names, old-fashioned boy cat names
“Bold and a bit eccentric, Archie for short”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“Sounds like it arrives with a monocle and a butler”
From Funny names that start with A, big, fun-to-say first names that start with A
“Genuinely bold; Germanic. Archie for short”
From Old man names, grandpa names coming back for babies
“Germanic for genuinely bold; a name of the Douglas earls.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish kings, saints and heroes
“Genuinely bold; Germanic, long popular in Scotland”
From Unique boy names, unique vintage boy names
How popular is Archibald?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,145
- 184 babies, 108 per million boys
- Best rank
- #279 in 1890
- Most babies: 184 in 2025
- Babies since 1880
- At least 3,985
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 237 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 209 per million |
| 1900s | 120 per million |
| 1910s | 73 per million |
| 1920s | 48 per million |
| 1930s | 20 per million |
| 1940s | 13 per million |
| 1950s | 9 per million |
| 1960s | 6 per million |
| 1970s | 5 per million |
| 1980s | 5 per million |
| 1990s | 4 per million |
| 2000s | 4 per million |
| 2010s | 23 per million |
| 2020s | 82 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,479 | #2,570 | #2,050 | #2,045 | #1,657 | #1,658 | #1,289 | #1,289 | #1,176 | #1,145 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Archibald
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ArchieGenuinely bold (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- KonradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- LeopoldBold people (Germanic, boy)
- LeopoldinaBold people (Germanic, girl)
- ConradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- TheobaldBold people (Germanic, boy)
- BalthildBold battle (Germanic, girl)
- HardyBold, daring (Old French, boy)
- JasiriBrave, bold (Swahili, boy)
- KenelmBold helmet (Old English, boy)
Middle names for Archibald
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
Archibald: common questions
What does the name Archibald mean?
Archibald comes from Germanic and means "genuinely bold".
Is Archibald a boy or girl name?
Archibald is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Archibald come from?
Archibald comes from Germanic and means "genuinely bold". Today it is used in Scottish and English.
How popular is the name Archibald?
Archibald ranked #1,145 in the US in 2025, with 184 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Archibald?
Forms of Archibald with the same meaning and origin include Archie (English).
What middle names go with Archibald?
Middle names that flow well with Archibald include Cedar, David, Isaac, Lee and Leo. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.