The name Jarrod is of English origin and is believed to have first emerged in the Middle Ages, sometime around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English name Gerard, which itself has roots in the Germanic words "ger" meaning spear, and "hard" meaning brave or hardy. The name Jarrod is thought to be a diminutive or shortened form of Gerard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jarrod can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Jarrod" and is listed as a landholder in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name had already been in use among the English population for some time before the Norman Conquest.

In the 14th century, a Jarrod de Wynton was recorded as a member of the English gentry and landowner in Hampshire. Around the same time, a Jarrod Fitzwilliam was mentioned in the records of the Exchequer, the medieval accounting branch of the English government.

During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Jarrod Halliwell lived in England in the 16th century. He was a scholar and historian who made important contributions to the study of Early Modern English literature and language.

In the 17th century, a Puritan colonist named Jarrod Winslow was among the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, United States. He is recorded as having arrived on the ship Mayflower in 1620.

Another historical figure with the name Jarrod was Jarrod Bronte, a 19th-century English painter and brother of the famous Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Though less renowned than his sisters, Jarrod Bronte's artwork and illustrations were celebrated during his lifetime, which spanned from 1818 to 1848.