unisex name · in the US
Harlem
HAR-lum (English)
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 5,689
the United States
#972
2025 births
Harlem is a unisex name in the United States, with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 31% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 383 babies in the United States, ranking #972. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
- Peaked in 2023, when 409 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 8,656 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1975.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Harlem Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 431 |
| 2010s | 2,404 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,342 |
How Popular Is Harlem?
In 2025, Harlem was given to 383 babies in the United States, ranking #972 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Harlem Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Harlem
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Harlem Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Harlem over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Harlem is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 37% girls · 3,581 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 4% girls · 163 babies
- Canada Boys' 0% girls · 53 babies
- France Boys' 10% girls · 50 babies
How to Say Harlem
- English HAR-lum
Sibling Names for Harlem
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Harlem — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Harlem
How popular is the name Harlem?
In 2025, Harlem was given to 383 babies in the United States, ranking #972 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Harlem a girl's or a boy's name?
Harlem is used for both girls and boys. About 31% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Harlem?
Harlem has 2 syllables.
When was Harlem most popular?
Harlem peaked in 2023, when 409 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Harlem a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Harlem currently ranks #972 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.