Arnold

Meaning and origin

Arnold means “eagle power,” from the Germanic elements arn, meaning “eagle,” and walt, meaning “power” or “authority.” It combines an animal image with one of the ruling elements found in many early Germanic personal names.

The Normans brought Arnold to England, where it replaced the related Old English name Earnweald. English use declined after the Middle Ages, followed by a revival in the nineteenth century. The modern name therefore has both a medieval English history and a later return to use.

Arnold also belongs to German, Dutch, and Polish naming traditions. Different spellings developed across Europe while keeping the older eagle-and-power elements recognizable within the family.

Pronunciation and related names

English Arnold is pronounced AR-nuld, with two syllables and the stress at the beginning. German, Dutch, and Polish pronunciations have a fuller second vowel and a final sound closer to t.

Arn and Arnie are English familiar forms. German and Dutch use Arno, while Arne, Arnd, and Arndt belong to the wider German family. French Arnaud, Catalan Arnau, Italian Arnaldo and Arnoldo, Latvian Arnolds, and Lithuanian Arnoldas are related forms.

The range of endings shows how an early Germanic name settled into several languages. Arnold keeps the full consonant ending, while Arnie and Arno give it shorter everyday forms.

Arnold Palmer and golf

Golfer Arnold Palmer gives the name a particularly strong sporting association. Born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 1929, he won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1954 and turned professional later that year. His first PGA Tour victory came at the Canadian Open in 1955.

Palmer won the Masters Tournament four times, in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964. His seven major championships also included the 1960 U.S. Open and the British Open in 1961 and 1962.

At the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, he came from seven strokes behind in the final round to win. That performance became one of the defining achievements of a career that helped bring golf to a growing television audience.

His followers became known as Arnie’s Army, giving the name’s familiar form an association of its own. Palmer also worked in golf-course design and aviation, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. His career brought Arnold into sport, business, and wider American public life.

Popularity in the United States

Arnold’s best American rank for boys was number 89 in 1916. Its largest annual count came in 1924, when 2,014 boys received the name.

It ranked number 1,657 in 2015, number 1,744 in 2020, and number 1,477 in 2025. Its strongest American naming period came before Palmer’s professional career.

How popular is Arnold?

In 2025, Arnold ranked #1,477 among boys in the United States, with 120 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1880; its largest annual count was 2,014 in 1924. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.