Boy name · Germanic
Henry
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: home rulerHenry is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "home ruler". It is used in English, Irish and German.
- Meaning
- Home ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #5 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Henry
As a boy's name, Henry comes from Germanic and means "home ruler". It is used in English, Irish and German.
Henry is also a surname: the 153rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 166,610 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Henry on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Henry on 8 lists.
“Joseph, the American whose surname became the unit of inductance”
From Nicknames for electricians, nerdy nicknames from electrical science
“Germanic for home ruler, which every cat already is”
From Boy cat names, classic boy cat names
“A regal classic that suits a gentle soul”
From Boy dog names, popular boy dog names
“Home ruler; Germanic. Warm vintage pick for any first name”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“Home ruler; Germanic. Eight English kings bore it”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“Home ruler; Germanic, eight kings of England, and back in the US top 5”
From Cute boy names, sweet vintage boy names
“Home ruler; Germanic, the English Heinrich. Tenth in Germany in 2025, counted with Henri”
From German boy names, popular German boy names
“Home ruler; Germanic. Name of the king who began the Plantagenet line, 1154”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France
How popular is Henry?
- US rank in 2025
- #5
- 12,020 babies, 7,037 per million boys
- Best rank
- #5 in 2025
- 12,020 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 768,945
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 22,037 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 18,988 per million |
| 1900s | 16,037 per million |
| 1910s | 11,935 per million |
| 1920s | 9,488 per million |
| 1930s | 6,664 per million |
| 1940s | 4,869 per million |
| 1950s | 3,078 per million |
| 1960s | 2,032 per million |
| 1970s | 1,424 per million |
| 1980s | 1,123 per million |
| 1990s | 1,296 per million |
| 2000s | 2,142 per million |
| 2010s | 4,924 per million |
| 2020s | 6,566 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22 | #19 | #16 | #13 | #9 | #9 | #7 | #8 | #6 | #5 |
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 Henry
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Hankcommon English nickname
- Harrycommon English nickname
- Halr becomes l, a change as old as Shakespeare's Prince Hal
Other forms of Henry
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)
- HarryHome 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 Henry
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
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 Henry
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)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
Henry: common questions
What does the name Henry mean?
Henry comes from Germanic and means "home ruler".
Is Henry a boy or girl name?
Henry is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 20 girls and 12,020 boys in the US were named Henry, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Henry?
Common nicknames for Henry include Hank, Harry and Hal.
How popular is the name Henry?
Henry ranked #5 in the US in 2025, with 12,020 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Henry?
Forms of Henry with the same meaning and origin include Anraí (Irish), Arrigo (Italian), Eanraig (Scottish), Enrico (Italian) and Enrique (Spanish).
What middle names go with Henry?
Middle names that flow well with Henry include Alexander, Arnold, Benedict, Christopher and David. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.