Herold
A surname often arising from the Germanic personal name Herwald/Herold, ultimately built from elements meaning “army” and “rule.”
The #6,028 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,118 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Herold is generally understood as a surname taken from an old personal name, not from the office of a herald. The underlying Germanic name is usually connected with elements meaning “army” or “war” and “rule,” so the literal sense is something like “ruler of the army” or “army leader.” Historical German surname studies also link forms such as Herold with related old name-shapes including Herwald and Harald-type forms, though the exact path can vary by region.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and later spread into other countries through migration. In English-speaking records it may also be encountered as an immigrant surname, especially from German or Central European families. Because similar-looking medieval name forms overlap, some historical works treat Herold alongside related spellings and variants rather than as a single fixed origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old German name-books sometimes group Herold with a cluster of very similar forms, which shows how fluid spelling could be before modern standardization.
From the historical record
“hill. p. 148: 1676. — Elii., d. Herold and Deborah Kiiuman : ibid. p. 14a. Boston (U.S. I, (4 ; Phlladdphia, 1. Klnaon ; v. Kingson.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances