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Home › Baby Names Directory › Darold

Darold

♂ Boy

Pronounced DEHR-uhld /ˈdɛr.əld/High

Meaning: Darold is a twentieth-century American coinage that grafts a 'Dar-' onset onto Harold or Gerald, Germanic names meaning 'army ruler' and 'spear ruler.' It sits with Darrell and Jerold as a rhyming variant, taking its inherited sense from the Harold-Gerald pair.Low

In 30 seconds: Darold is a mid-century American twist on Harold or Gerald (said 'DEHR-uhld'). It peaked around 1932 and belongs to the Darrell-and-Jerold rhyming family.
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Origin LowEnglish, Germanic
MeaningDarold is a twentieth-century American coinage that grafts a 'Dar-' onset onto Harold or Gerald, Germanic names meaning 'army ruler' and 'spear ruler.' It sits with Darrell and Jerold as a rhyming variant, taking its inherited sense from the Harold-Gerald pair.
U.S. rank (2021)#9948 ↗ Rising
2021 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1932
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,195

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 193219122021

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Darold emerged in the early twentieth century as an American reshaping of Harold or Gerald, both old Germanic names of the '-rule' family. It rose with the fashion for fresh-sounding rhyming variants and reached its high near 1932 at close to a hundred boys a year, mostly in the Midwest.

A man named Darold at that peak would be in his nineties now, marking it as a grandfather-era name. It receded through the later century and reads today as solidly mid-century Americana; its cousins Darrell and Gerald are the more familiar survivors.

Did you know? Darold is one of many invented 'D' variants — beside Darrell, Derald, and Jerold — that Depression-era parents coined by reshaping the standards Harold and Gerald.
Overall data confidence 52%
References — Darold — American blend of Harold/Gerald; 1930s peak

Variations

DarrellJeroldDerald

Nicknames

DareRold

Famous Bearers

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If you like Darold…

Harold— a parent name Darold reworks, sharing the '-old' close
Gerald— the other standard behind the coinage
Darrell— a like rhyming mid-century D- variant
Jerold— a same-family invented spelling of Gerald

Explore names like Darold

By themevintageamericanblendmid-century

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Darold mean?

Darold is an American blend of a 'Dar-' opening with Harold or Gerald, Germanic names for 'army ruler' and 'spear ruler.'

How do you pronounce Darold?

It's said DEHR-uhld /ˈdɛr.əld/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Darold a boy or girl name?

Darold is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Darold?

Darold was an uncommon mid-century choice that peaked in the early nineteen-thirties and has been rare since; it has not revived.

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