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Harold (given name)

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Harold
Depiction of the Anglo-Saxon king Harold Godwinson on the Bayeux Tapestry
GenderMale and one time female
Origin
Word/nameProto-Germanic, via Old English and Old Norse
MeaningMilitary-Power or Army-Ruler[1]
Region of originEngland
Other names
Related namesHarald (German and Continental Scandinavian), Haraldur (Icelandic), Haroldo (Spanish, Portuguese), Aroldo (Italian)[2]

Harold is an English personal name. The modern name Harold ultimately derives from the Proto-Germanic *harja-waldaz, meaning 'military-power' or 'army-ruler'. The name entered Modern English via the Old English from Hereweald, which retained the same meaning and was prevalent in Anglo-Saxon England. The name's popularity in Viking Age England would also have been bolstered by the use of the Old Norse form Haraldr among Scandinavian settlers in the Danelaw.[3]

Ancient

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Medieval

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Modern name

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Fictional characters

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle , and Flavia Hodges, eds., A Dictionary of First Names, 2 ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), p. 157.
  2. ^ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Harold".
  3. ^ Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle , and Flavia Hodges, eds., A Dictionary of First Names, 2 ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), p. 157.
  4. ^ Kakoschke, Andreas (2021). Die Personennamen in den römischen Provinzen Germania inferior und Germania superior. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 621. ISBN 9783946317814.
  5. ^ Yonge, Charlotte Mary (1884). History of Christian Names. United Kingdom: Macmillian & Company. p. 476.