Boy name · Germanic
Harry
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: home rulerHarry 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
- #775 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Harry
As a boy's name, Harry comes from Germanic and means "home ruler". It is used in English.
Harry is also a surname: the 3,964th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 8,673 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Harry on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Harry on 4 lists.
“The lovable giant from the 1987 family film about the Hendersons”
From Bigfoot nicknames, real names for Bigfoot around the world
“Home ruler; Germanic, the medieval English form of Henry”
From Cute boy names, cute nickname-style boy names
“Tarantulas are famously hairy, so this one writes itself”
From Spider names, pet tarantula names
“Home ruler; Germanic. Medieval pet form of Henry”
From Old man names, cozy grandpa nickname names
How popular is Harry?
- US rank in 2025
- #775
- 329 babies, 193 per million boys
- Best rank
- #8 in 1889
- Most babies: 9,896 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 423,866
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 20,676 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 18,695 per million |
| 1900s | 13,190 per million |
| 1910s | 9,868 per million |
| 1920s | 7,821 per million |
| 1930s | 5,027 per million |
| 1940s | 3,778 per million |
| 1950s | 2,143 per million |
| 1960s | 1,177 per million |
| 1970s | 706 per million |
| 1980s | 408 per million |
| 1990s | 278 per million |
| 2000s | 216 per million |
| 2010s | 192 per million |
| 2020s | 199 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #677 | #648 | #623 | #649 | #719 | #721 | #695 | #784 | #776 | #775 |
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.
Nicknames for Harry
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Halr becomes l, a change as old as Shakespeare's Prince Hal
- Hazr becomes z, a newer British and Australian habit
Other forms of Harry
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)
- HankHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HarrisSon of Harry, home ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeikoHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeinerHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeinrichHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HeinzHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HendrikHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Harry
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HardyBold, daring (Old French, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- HamdyPraise (Arabic, boy)
- HanyHappy, delighted (Arabic, boy)
- HarelMountain of God (Hebrew, boy)
- HariTawny; a name of Vishnu (Sanskrit, boy)
- HarshHappiness (Sanskrit, boy)
- HaruSun; spring (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- HaruoSpring man (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (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)
- EricaEver ruler (Old Norse, girl)
Middle names for Harry
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)
Harry: common questions
What does the name Harry mean?
Harry comes from Germanic and means "home ruler".
Is Harry a boy or girl name?
Harry is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for Harry?
Common nicknames for Harry include Hal and Haz.
How popular is the name Harry?
Harry ranked #775 in the US in 2025, with 329 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Harry?
Forms of Harry with the same meaning and origin include Anraí (Irish), Arrigo (Italian), Eanraig (Scottish), Enrico (Italian) and Enrique (Spanish).
What middle names go with Harry?
Middle names that flow well with Harry include Ansel, Burton, Forest, Jonah and Josiah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.