Boy name · Germanic
Hank
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: home rulerHank is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "home ruler". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Home ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #413 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Hank
As a boy's name, Hank comes from Germanic and means "home ruler". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Hank on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Hank on 7 lists.
“Honors Williams, the original honky-tonk hero”
From Redneck names for boys, country music inspired boy names
“The AKC's No. 2 boy dog name of 2025, up from 35th”
From Boy dog names, popular boy dog names
“Old nickname for Henry, home ruler; pure country”
From Cowboy names, western boy names
“A no-nonsense country name”
From Porch goose names, boy porch goose names
“Easygoing and down-to-earth, a true ranch hand”
From Horse names, horse names for geldings
“An old short form of John, later of Henry, for a laid-back orange boy”
From Orange cat names, orange cat names for boys
“Short, sturdy and dependable”
From Tyranitar nicknames, boy Tyranitar nicknames
How popular is Hank?
- US rank in 2025
- #413
- 776 babies, 454 per million boys
- Best rank
- #413 in 2025
- 776 babies that year
- Babies since 1908
- At least 16,984
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 8 per million |
| 1910s | 6 per million |
| 1920s | 11 per million |
| 1930s | 18 per million |
| 1940s | 31 per million |
| 1950s | 68 per million |
| 1960s | 81 per million |
| 1970s | 59 per million |
| 1980s | 53 per million |
| 1990s | 44 per million |
| 2000s | 62 per million |
| 2010s | 262 per million |
| 2020s | 410 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #486 | #451 | #457 | #458 | #483 | #434 | #445 | #444 | #425 | #413 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Hank
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AnraíHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- ArrigoHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- EanraigHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- EnricoHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- EnriqueHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HarryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeikoHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeinerHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeinrichHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeinzHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HendrikHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HendryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Hank
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HansGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- HanyHappy, delighted (Arabic, boy)
- HaukHawk (Old Norse, boy)
- HadiGuide, leader (Arabic, boy)
- HaiThe sea (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- HanzoHalf and hide (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- HaoVast, grand (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- HariTawny; a name of Vishnu (Sanskrit, boy)
- HaruSun; spring (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- DerekRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DirkRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DonalWorld ruler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Hank
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Hank: common questions
What does the name Hank mean?
Hank comes from Germanic and means "home ruler".
Is Hank a boy or girl name?
Hank is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Hank come from?
Hank comes from Germanic and means "home ruler". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Hank?
Hank ranked #413 in the US in 2025, with 776 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Hank?
Forms of Hank with the same meaning and origin include Anraí (Irish), Arrigo (Italian), Eanraig (Scottish), Enrico (Italian) and Enrique (Spanish).
What middle names go with Hank?
Middle names that flow well with Hank include Asher, David, Everett, Grant and Micah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.