Arnold

Arnold is a Germanic name meaning “eagle power,” from the elements arn, “eagle,” and walt, “power, authority.” The Normans introduced it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Earnweald; it fell out of use there after the Middle Ages and was revived in the 19th century. Notable bearers include an 8th-century musician at Charlemagne’s court, an 11th-century French bishop who is the patron saint of brewers, and Arnold of Brescia, a 12th-century Augustinian monk who rebelled against the Church and was hanged. Modern bearers include American golfer Arnold Palmer (1929–2016) and Austrian-American actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947–).

Arnold moved from #822 to #901 for boys between 2003 and 2004. Its highest annual birth count came in 1924, with 2,014 births.