Boy name · Germanic
Herbert
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: bright armyHerbert is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "bright army". It is used in English and German.
- Meaning
- Bright army
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #2656 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Herbert
As a boy's name, Herbert comes from Germanic and means "bright army". It is used in English and German.
In German, say HAIR-bert. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Herbert is also a surname: the 1,422nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 24,361 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Herbert on our names that mean light and names that mean warrior lists.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Herbert on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Herbert on 6 lists.
“Bright army; Germanic, Herbie for short”
From Cute boy names, sweet vintage boy names
“Herb for short”
From Porch goose names, vintage and classic porch goose names
“Bright army; Germanic heri and beraht. Say HAIR-bert”
From German boy names, old-fashioned German boy names
“Bright army; Germanic, from heri, army”
From Names that mean light, germanic names with bert, meaning bright
“Bright army; Germanic. Revived in the 19th century”
From Names that mean warrior, names that mean army or soldier
“Bright army; Germanic. Herb or Bert for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Herbert?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,656
- 49 babies, 29 per million boys
- Best rank
- #25 in 1928
- 8,065 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 228,266
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 3,886 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,961 per million |
| 1900s | 5,125 per million |
| 1910s | 5,073 per million |
| 1920s | 5,130 per million |
| 1930s | 3,579 per million |
| 1940s | 1,929 per million |
| 1950s | 1,202 per million |
| 1960s | 711 per million |
| 1970s | 439 per million |
| 1980s | 242 per million |
| 1990s | 124 per million |
| 2000s | 62 per million |
| 2010s | 41 per million |
| 2020s | 34 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,867 | #1,887 | #2,037 | #2,470 | #2,304 | #2,509 | #2,224 | #2,136 | #2,456 | #2,656 |
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 Herbert
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- HerbBright army (Germanic, boy)
- HeribertoBright army (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Herbert
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- HermanArmy man, soldier (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Herbert
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- CarlFree man (Germanic, boy)
Herbert: common questions
What does the name Herbert mean?
Herbert comes from Germanic and means "bright army".
Is Herbert a boy or girl name?
Herbert is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Herbert come from?
Herbert comes from Germanic and means "bright army". Today it is used in English and German.
How popular is the name Herbert?
Herbert ranked #2,656 in the US in 2025, with 49 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Herbert?
Forms of Herbert with the same meaning and origin include Herb (English) and Heriberto (Spanish).
What middle names go with Herbert?
Middle names that flow well with Herbert include Beau, Ethan, Grant, Lamar and Levi. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.