Harald
Only about 500 men in Poland carry it, and new ones barely turn up: two boys in 2023, none since. A Germanic name at root, built from words for army and ruler, so "army ruler".
Harald Pronunciation
Harald is pronounced KHAH-rahlt (/ˈxaralt/).
What Harald means
Where Harald comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
The name Harald grew from Germanic roots. Its Old Norse form, Haraldr, binds two words: harja, "army," and waldr, "ruler." Together they give the sense that Polish still records as "władca armii," a ruler of the host.
Scandinavia kept the name close. Harald Fairhair is remembered as the first king of Norway in the ninth century. Harald Bluetooth united the Danes a hundred years later, and the wireless standard in every phone borrows both his byname and a bind-rune of his initials for its logo. Harald V has held the Norwegian throne since 1991. German speakers took the name up as well, so it moves between the two cultures without shifting its shape.
In Poland the name stays rare. A boy who carries it on a class register stands out at once.
The meaning was never softened by a later legend. Harald means army ruler, and that is exactly what a Danish king was.
How many people are named Harald
1 in 40582 men in Poland is named Harald. 526 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #1288 among male names.
Harald's popularity over time
Fewer than 2 boys were given the name in 2025. It has been climbing since 2025.
Harald as a middle name
Harald is a first name for 526 men in Poland and a middle name for another 173, a 75/25 split. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 522nd, between Engelbert (173) and Frederick (172).
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#520 Nathaniel175
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#521 Engelbert173
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#522 Harald173
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#523 Frederick172
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#524 Maurice172