Herold
A name derived from the Medieval German title meaning "herald, messenger".
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the first name Herold. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Herold today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Herold births was 1923 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Herold. 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 Herold is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Herolds were born before 1966.
People living today
150
~ 1 in 2,285,029 Americans
Peak year
1923
26 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1999 SSA rank
#10,521
Tracked since 1894
Popularity
Herold: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Herold from the 1890s through to the 1990s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 177 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Herold 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 Herold during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Herolds live
Origin
Meaning and history of Herold
The given name Herold originated from the Germanic languages and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "heru" or "heri," which means "army" or "warrior," and the suffix "-wald," meaning "ruler" or "leader." Therefore, Herold essentially translates to "army leader" or "military commander."
During the Middle Ages, the name Herold was particularly popular among the nobility and military elite in various Germanic regions, including modern-day Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. It was often bestowed upon sons of knights, lords, and other high-ranking individuals within the feudal system, reflecting their potential to become valiant warriors and leaders in their own right.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Herold can be found in the Nibelungenlied, a renowned German epic poem dating back to the 13th century. In this literary work, Herold is mentioned as a prominent character, though it remains unclear whether he was a historical figure or a fictional creation.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Herold. One such figure was Herold von Höchstätten (c. 1200-1260), a German knight and crusader who participated in the Sixth Crusade under the command of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Another example is Herold von Eppstein (c. 1250-1318), a German nobleman and cleric who served as the Archbishop of Cologne from 1299 until his death.
During the Renaissance period, the name Herold gained further prominence. One notable bearer was Herold Leckingby (c. 1470-1542), an English courtier and diplomat who served under Henry VIII and played a significant role in the negotiations surrounding the King's annulment from Catherine of Aragon.
In the realm of art and literature, Herold Grimm (1564-1636) was a German Renaissance painter and engraver known for his intricate woodcuts and etchings depicting religious and mythological scenes. Additionally, Herold Oluszewski (1869-1952) was a Polish writer and poet who made significant contributions to the development of Polish literature in the early 20th century.
While the name Herold has fallen out of widespread use in recent times, it remains a part of historical records and continues to evoke associations with the noble warriors and leaders of the Germanic past.
People
Herold + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Herold 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
Herold: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Herold?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 150 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Herold 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 2,285,029 US residents.
Is Herold a common name?
We classify Herold as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 618 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Herold most popular?
The single biggest year for Herold was 1923, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Herold is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Herold a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Herold 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.
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.