Boy name · Germanic
Herman
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: army man, soldierHerman is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "army man, soldier". It is used in English, German and Dutch.
- Meaning
- Army man, soldier
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #2368 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Herman
As a boy's name, Herman comes from Germanic and means "army man, soldier". It is used in English, German and Dutch.
Herman is also a surname: the 868th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 39,217 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Herman on our names that mean warrior list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Herman on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Herman on 5 lists.
“From the silly campfire song about a growing worm”
From Worm names, famous worm puns and celebrity worm names
“Army man; Germanic. Novelist Melville's first name”
From Names that mean warrior, names that mean army or soldier
“Army man; Germanic. Shared with author Melville”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
“The traditional name for friendship cake starter shared between neighbors”
From Sourdough starter names, old-fashioned names for a sourdough starter
“Army man, soldier; Germanic, author Melville's first name”
From Strong boy names, boy names that mean warrior or fighter
How popular is Herman?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,368
- 58 babies, 34 per million boys
- Best rank
- #44 in 1886
- Most babies: 3,219 in 1921
- Babies since 1880
- At least 135,977
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 3,368 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 3,709 per million |
| 1900s | 3,730 per million |
| 1910s | 3,385 per million |
| 1920s | 2,633 per million |
| 1930s | 1,923 per million |
| 1940s | 1,132 per million |
| 1950s | 684 per million |
| 1960s | 434 per million |
| 1970s | 288 per million |
| 1980s | 169 per million |
| 1990s | 100 per million |
| 2000s | 55 per million |
| 2010s | 40 per million |
| 2020s | 31 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,819 | #2,329 | #2,179 | #2,007 | #2,375 | #2,748 | #2,630 | #2,330 | #2,648 | #2,368 |
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 Herman
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ArmandArmy man, soldier (Germanic, boy)
- HermannArmy man (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Herman
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HernánBrave journey (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArlethVariant of Arlette, from Herleva, possibly army and legacy (Germanic, girl)
- HaraldArmy ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- HerbertBright army (Germanic, boy)
- WalterRuler of the army (Germanic, boy)
- BhaltairRuler of the army (Germanic, boy)
- EfstratiosGood army (Greek, boy)
- ErlindaArmy and gentle, a form of Herlinde (Germanic, girl)
- ErmannoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ErwinArmy friend (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Herman
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)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Herman: common questions
What does the name Herman mean?
Herman comes from Germanic and means "army man, soldier".
Is Herman a boy or girl name?
Herman is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Herman come from?
Herman comes from Germanic and means "army man, soldier". Today it is used in English, German and Dutch.
How popular is the name Herman?
Herman ranked #2,368 in the US in 2025, with 58 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Herman?
Forms of Herman with the same meaning and origin include Armand (French) and Hermann (German).
What middle names go with Herman?
Middle names that flow well with Herman include Jonah, Jude, Louis, Mark and Peter. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.