Harry
Harry was the 775th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 329 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 8th; the most babies were born in 1918 (9,896). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4 places. More babies were named Harry in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning home ruler (English form of Henry) · Germanic, French, English
Say it HAIR-ee /ˈhɛri/
- Rank in 2025
- #775 boys, down 56 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 329boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19189,896 babies
- Total since 1880
- 425,883babies recorded
What does the name Harry mean?
Harry is the medieval English spoken form of Henry, from Old French Henri, as Wiktionary explains. DMNES traces Henry to Old High German heim, home, and rīhhi, ruler, so "ruler of the home." Wiktionary notes that Danish, German, Norwegian and Swedish have borrowed Harry from English. Harry has been used in the US since 1880 and was most common in the 1910s.
heim (Old High German, “home”)rīhhi (Old High German, “ruler”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Henry, Hal, Harrison, Harriet.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Harry' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Henry', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Harry popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,017 since 1880.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #775 | 329 |
| 2020 | #719 | 345 |
| 2010 | #660 | 364 |
| 2000 | #512 | 442 |
| 1990 | #371 | 628 |
| 1980 | #258 | 859 |
| 1970 | #169 | 1,696 |
| 1960 | #124 | 3,024 |
| 1950 | #61 | 5,375 |
| 1940 | #47 | 4,681 |
| 1930 | #28 | 6,847 |
| 1920 | #21 | 9,406 |
| 1910 | #16 | 1,978 |
| 1900 | #13 | 2,272 |
| 1890 | #10 | 2,345 |
| 1880 | #12 | 2,152 |
How popular is Harry, counting every spelling?
Harry has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #757 for boys in 2025, against #775 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Harry?
329 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Harry (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Harry born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Harry.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Harry?
About 109,800 people born in the US named Harry are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 52 and 78. That makes Harry a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Harry by state
How common Harry was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (2.5×), New York (2.3×), New Jersey (2.1×). In 19 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Harry: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Harry, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Harry · Sibling names for Harry
Harry is also a nickname for Henry, Harrison and Harold.
Questions about the name Harry
What does Harry mean?
Harry means “home ruler (English form of Henry)” (Germanic, French, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Harry?
Harry was the 775th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 329 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 8th; the most babies were born in 1918 (9,896). Over the last ten years it has moved up 4 places. More babies were named Harry in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Harry a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Harry in the US.
Where is Harry most popular?
In 2021–2025, Harry was most common in Alaska (0.50 per 1,000 boys), followed by Massachusetts and New York.