Boy name · Germanic
Arnold
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: eagle powerArnold is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "eagle power". It is used in English, German and Dutch.
- Meaning
- Eagle power
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1477 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Arnold
As a boy's name, Arnold comes from Germanic and means "eagle power". It is used in English, German and Dutch.
Arnold is also a surname: the 214th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 132,160 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Arnold on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Arnold on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Arnold on 3 lists.
“Eagle power; Germanic. Vintage power name”
From Boy middle names, strong boy middle names
“Eagle power; Germanic. Arnie for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
“Eagle power; Germanic, bodybuilder Schwarzenegger's first name”
From Strong boy names, powerful boy names for kings and leaders
How popular is Arnold?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,477
- 120 babies, 70 per million boys
- Best rank
- #89 in 1916
- Most babies: 2,014 in 1924
- Babies since 1880
- At least 103,846
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 369 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 753 per million |
| 1900s | 1,139 per million |
| 1910s | 1,885 per million |
| 1920s | 1,772 per million |
| 1930s | 1,693 per million |
| 1940s | 1,077 per million |
| 1950s | 653 per million |
| 1960s | 493 per million |
| 1970s | 223 per million |
| 1980s | 140 per million |
| 1990s | 138 per million |
| 2000s | 85 per million |
| 2010s | 53 per million |
| 2020s | 62 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,629 | #1,433 | #1,593 | #1,487 | #1,744 | #1,556 | #1,524 | #1,640 | #1,687 | #1,477 |
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 Arnold
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ArnaldoEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- ArnauEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- ArnaudEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldoEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Arnold
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ArnulfEagle wolf (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AdlerEagle (German, boy)
- GeraldPower of the spear (Germanic, boy)
- GeraldinePower of the spear (Germanic, girl)
- OswaldPower of a god (Old English, boy)
- AishwaryaProsperity, power (Sanskrit, girl)
- AkulinaLike an eagle (Latin, girl)
- AmandlaPower, strength (Zulu, unisex)
- AntinancoEagle of the sun (Mapudungun, boy)
- ArnbjorgEagle and help (Old Norse, girl)
- ArnbjörnEagle and bear (Old Norse, boy)
Middle names for Arnold
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)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
Arnold: common questions
What does the name Arnold mean?
Arnold comes from Germanic and means "eagle power".
Is Arnold a boy or girl name?
Arnold is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Arnold come from?
Arnold comes from Germanic and means "eagle power". Today it is used in English, German and Dutch.
How popular is the name Arnold?
Arnold ranked #1,477 in the US in 2025, with 120 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Arnold?
Forms of Arnold with the same meaning and origin include Arnaldo (Italian), Arnau (Spanish), Arnaud (French), Arno (German) and Arnoldo (Spanish).
What middle names go with Arnold?
Middle names that flow well with Arnold include Beau, Chase, Dean, Drake and Ford. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.