Hearld
A masculine name derived from the Old English word "heralt" meaning "army leader".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Hearld. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hearld today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hearld births was 1927 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hearld. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hearld is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hearlds were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hearld. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1927
10 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1945 SSA rank
#3,509
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Hearld: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hearld from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 10 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hearld by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hearld during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hearld
The given name Hearld has its origins in the Old English language, tracing back to the early medieval period in Britain. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "harjaz," which means "army" or "warrior." The name was initially used to describe a brave soldier or a leader of men in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hearld can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record dating back to the 9th century. The name appears in reference to a prominent military leader who led his troops against Viking invaders during the reign of King Alfred the Great.
In the 11th century, the name Hearld gained further prominence with the rise of the Norman Conquest in England. During this period, a Norman knight named Hearld de Montfort is recorded as having fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His bravery and loyalty to the Norman cause earned him land and titles in the newly conquered territories.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Hearld was closely associated with the concept of chivalry and knighthood. It was often bestowed upon sons of noble families who were expected to follow in the footsteps of their warrior ancestors. One such notable figure was Hearld de Lacy, a 12th-century baron and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade under King Richard the Lionheart.
In the 14th century, a famous bearer of the name was Hearld Godwinson, an English nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Battle of Hastings. Despite his eventual defeat, Hearld Godwinson's valor and leadership on the battlefield have been celebrated in various historical accounts and literary works.
During the Renaissance period, the name Hearld gained prominence in the arts and literature. One notable figure was the Italian poet Hearld Boccaccio, born in 1313, whose works, such as the Decameron, significantly influenced the development of Italian literature and humanism.
As time progressed, the name Hearld gradually fell out of widespread use, but it has continued to be passed down through generations in certain families and regions. Some other notable bearers of the name include Hearld Hardrada, a Norwegian king who ruled in the 11th century, and Hearld Fairhair, a legendary Norwegian ruler from the 9th century, known for uniting the petty kingdoms of Norway.
People
Hearld + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hearld as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hearld: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hearld?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hearld going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Hearld a common name?
We classify Hearld as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hearld most popular?
The single biggest year for Hearld was 1927, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hearld is about 83 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hearld in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hearld a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hearld in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hearld still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hearld in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hearld can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Hearld as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.