Jarold
A masculine diminutive of Gerald derived from the German elements "ger" meaning "spear" and "wald" meaning "rule".
Name Census estimates that about 358 living Americans carry the first name Jarold. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jarold today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jarold births was 1937 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jarold. 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.
People living today
358
~ 1 in 957,414 Americans
Peak year
1937
19 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2001 SSA rank
#11,319
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Jarold: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jarold from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 143 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jarold 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 Jarold during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jarolds live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jarold
The name Jarold has its origins in Old English and Old German languages, tracing back to the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Germanic root words "ger" meaning spear and "wald" meaning ruler or power, essentially translating to "spear ruler" or "mighty with the spear."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jarold was in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, where it was written as "Gearwold." This ancient text documented the lives of early English kings and nobles, indicating that the name may have been used among the ruling classes or warrior elite of that era.
During the Middle Ages, variations of the name such as "Gerold" and "Gerawold" were found in various Germanic regions, including parts of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is believed that the name gained popularity among the Frankish and Alemannic tribes, who were known for their skilled warriors and military prowess.
The first notable figure in history bearing the name Jarold was Gerold the Younger (c. 650 – 695 AD), a Frankish nobleman and Count of Vintzgau in present-day Austria. He was a trusted advisor to the Merovingian King Childebert III and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.
Another prominent individual was Gerold of Vintzgau (c. 740 – 799 AD), a Frankish count who served under Charlemagne and was appointed as the Prefect of Bavaria. He was instrumental in the expansion of Carolingian rule in the region and the establishment of monasteries.
In the 11th century, Gerold of Avignon (c. 1020 – 1095) was a renowned Benedictine monk and religious reformer who played a crucial role in the Gregorian Reform movement within the Catholic Church. His efforts helped shape the Church's stance on simony and clerical celibacy.
During the 12th century, Gerold of Lausanne (c. 1120 – 1188) was a Swiss bishop and theologian who participated in the Third Lateran Council and was known for his writings on canon law and theology.
Lastly, Gerold of Franconia (c. 1270 – 1325) was a German nobleman and military commander who fought in the Wars of the Roses in England, supporting the House of Lancaster against the House of York.
While the name Jarold fell out of widespread use in more recent centuries, it continues to hold historical significance and a connection to the ancient Germanic cultures and their warrior traditions.
People
Jarold + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jarold as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jarold: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jarold?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 358 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jarold 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 957,414 US residents.
Is Jarold a common name?
We classify Jarold as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 651 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jarold most popular?
The single biggest year for Jarold was 1937, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jarold is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jarold a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jarold 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.