Henry
Henry was the 5th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 12,020 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 24 places. More babies were named Henry in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning home + ruler (Germanic) · Germanic
Say it HEN-ree /ˈhɛnri/
- Rank in 2025
- #5 boys, up 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 12,020boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202512,020 babies
- Total since 1880
- 773,564babies recorded
What does the name Henry mean?
Henry comes through Old French Henri from a Frankish name, Haimrīk, made of words for 'home' and 'ruler'. It is related to German Heinrich and Dutch Hendrik. Many medieval kings and Holy Roman emperors bore it, including several kings of England. Wiktionary notes it has been popular in England since the Middle Ages.
*Haimarīks (Proto-Germanic, “home + ruler”)heim + rih (Old High German, “home + ruler”)
How sure is this? Probable.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen.
Nicknames for Henry
The usual nicknames for Henry are Hank, Harry and Hal. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Henry in the last five years, 6 were named Hank, against 3 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hank · probably came to Henry via Dutch Henk | Traditional | #413 | 3,637 |
| Harry · Harry was the medieval English pronunciation of Henry · also for Harrison, Harold | Traditional | #775 | 1,716 |
| Hal · also for Harold | Traditional | #3,151 | 157 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Henrys go by each one.
Henry popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 4,619 since 1880, 20 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5 | 12,020 |
| 2020 | #9 | 10,793 |
| 2010 | #67 | 6,408 |
| 2000 | #126 | 3,127 |
| 1990 | #138 | 2,253 |
| 1980 | #135 | 2,071 |
| 1970 | #104 | 3,127 |
| 1960 | #84 | 4,968 |
| 1950 | #47 | 6,963 |
| 1940 | #31 | 6,822 |
| 1930 | #22 | 8,594 |
| 1920 | #17 | 11,305 |
| 1910 | #10 | 2,899 |
| 1900 | #10 | 2,606 |
| 1890 | #9 | 2,349 |
| 1880 | #9 | 2,444 |
How popular is Henry, counting every spelling?
Henry is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #8 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5 for Henry on its own. Together these spellings went to 12,040 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry | 12,020 | #5 | 57,254 |
| Henrry | 20 | #4,920 | 103 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Henry?
12,020 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Henry (3.33 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Henry born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 16. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.4 children named Henry.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Henry?
About 378,300 people born in the US named Henry are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 9 and 62. That makes Henry mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Henry by state
How common Henry was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.8×), District of Columbia (3.0×), Wyoming (2.7×), New Hampshire (2.6×), Maine (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Texas, California, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Henry: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Henry, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Henry
What does Henry mean?
Henry means “home + ruler (Germanic)” (Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Henry?
Henry was the 5th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 12,020 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 24 places. More babies were named Henry in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Henry a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Henry in the US.
Where is Henry most popular?
In 2021–2025, Henry was most common in Vermont (24.84 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and Wyoming.