Harald, of Germanic origin, translates to 'powerful' or 'ruler'. It is composed of two elements: 'hari', meaning army, and 'waldan', which signifies power or rule. The name gained prominence through figures like Harald Bluetooth, a 10th-century king of Denmark and Norway known for facilitating the conversion of Scandinavia to Christianity.
The name Harald has seen a fluctuating popularity over the past century, with periods of relative obscurity and others of modest popularity. The highest number of births recorded in any single year was 24, in 1925. However, since then, there have been many years where only five or fewer babies were named Harald, most recently in 2023 with eight births.