Arnold

A1R1N1O1L1D2
UK/ˈɑːnəld/US/ˈɑɹnəld/

proper noun

A male given name from the Germanic languages brought to England by Normans.

OriginGermanic ← Proto-West Germanic *Arnuwald ← Proto-Germanic *arô →
CommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative pronunciation spelling Ahnold

  1. A male given name from the Germanic languages brought to England by Normans.

    Firefighters from multiple fire departments responded to the fire at Edisto Beach in Colleton County on Saturday afternoon. The house is owned by Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, former state Sen. Arnold Goodstein.

    2025 October 6, Cindy Von Quednow, “South Carolina authorities are investigating a fire that engulfed the home of state circuit court judge”, in CNN
    1 more example

    Arnold used to be a name only a mother could love, but it does not mean nerd anymore. Since Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped out of the gym and onto the screen, it has come to suggest popping delts and giant pecs, a world of undisputed macho.

    1987 December 7, Newsweek, page 44
  2. A surname originating as a patronymic.
  3. A hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref TA1241).
  4. A market town in Gedling borough, Nottinghamshire, England (OS grid ref SK5945).
  5. A small town in the Shire of Loddon, Victoria, Australia.
  6. A community in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  7. A number of places in the United States:
    1. A census-designated place in Calaveras County, California.
    2. An unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California.
    3. An unincorporated community in Carroll County, Illinois.
    4. An unincorporated community in Morgan County, Illinois.
    5. An unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Iowa.
    6. An unincorporated community in Ness County, Kansas.
    7. A census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
    8. An unincorporated community in Marquette County, Michigan.
    9. A former census-designated place in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, now part of the city of Rice Lake.
    10. A city in Jefferson County, Missouri.
    11. A village in Custer County, Nebraska.
    12. An unincorporated community in Union County, Ohio.
    13. A city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
    14. An unincorporated community in Collin County, Texas.
    15. An unincorporated community in Brooke County, West Virginia.
    16. An unincorporated community in Lewis County, West Virginia.
    17. An unincorporated community in Chippewa County, Wisconsin.
  8. geographyAn epoch from 43 to 34.3 million years ago, a subdivision of the Paleogene.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*arô“eagle”
  2. Proto-West Germanic*Arnuwald
  3. Germanic
  4. EnglishArnold

From a French version of a Germanic name, from Proto-West Germanic *Arnuwald, from Proto-Germanic *arô (“eagle”) + *waldą (“power”). For the first part of the word doublet of erne, ornis, and ornitho-. Compare the Latin male given name and cognomen Aquila, and female given name Aquilīna (whence Russian Акули́на (Akulína)), related to aquila (whence eagle).

More words from Germanic, Proto-West Germanic, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque Eñaut
  • Eñautmale given name
Bengali আরনল্ড
  • আরনল্ড (aronlḍ)male given name
Catalan Arnau
  • Arnaumale given name
Chinese Mandarin 阿諾德 /阿诺德, 阿諾爾德 /阿诺尔德
  • 阿諾德 /阿诺德 (Ānuòdé)male given name
  • 阿諾爾德 /阿诺尔德 (Ānuò'ěrdé)male given name
  • 愛諾德 /爱诺德 (Àinuòdé)male given name
Danish Arnold
  • Arnoldmale given name
Dutch Arnoud
  • Arnoudmale given name
Esperanto Arnoldo
  • Arnoldomale given name
Estonian Arnold
  • Arnoldmale given name
French Arnaud
  • Arnaudmale given name
German Arnold
  • Arnoldmale given name
Greek Άρνολδος, Άρνολντ
  • Άρνολδος (Árnoldos)male given name
  • Άρνολντ (Árnolnt)male given name
  • Πούλιος (Poúlios)male given name
Italian Arnaldo
  • Arnaldomale given name
Latin Arnoldus
  • Arnoldusmale given name
Latvian Arnolds
  • Arnoldsmale given name
Lithuanian Arnoldas, Arnas
  • Arnoldasmale given name
  • Arnasmale given name
Norwegian Arnold
  • Arnoldmale given name
Portuguese Arnaldo
  • Arnaldomale given name
Russian Арно́льд
  • Арно́льд (Arnólʹd)male given name
Spanish Arnaldo, Arnoldo
  • Arnaldomale given name
  • Arnoldomale given name
Swedish Arnold
  • Arnoldmale given name
Yiddish אַרנאָלד
  • אַרנאָלד (arnold)male given name

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

RonaldRolandOrlandRoldanRandollardondralon
Cite this entry
APA

Arnold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arnold

MLA

“Arnold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arnold. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Arnold,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Arnold.

Source: Arnold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.