boy's name
Harrison
HAIR-ih-sun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 157,788
the United States
#116
2025 births
Harrison is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Harry." Harry was the ordinary medieval English pronunciation of Henry, so the name means son of Henry — and Henry means "home ruler," from Germanic elements.
- Harrison is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 3,670 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,076 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Harrison over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,235 |
| 1890s | 991 |
| 1900s | 530 |
| 1910s | 2,431 |
| 1920s | 3,275 |
| 1930s | 2,170 |
| 1940s | 2,135 |
| 1950s | 2,037 |
| 1960s | 1,381 |
| 1970s | 1,064 |
| 1980s | 3,987 |
| 1990s | 13,837 |
| 2000s | 17,268 |
| 2010s | 28,668 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 18,453 |
What Harrison means
Harrison means son of Harry, and Harry stood for Henry in everyday medieval speech. The inherited meaning is therefore home ruler, from the Germanic heim, estate, and ric, ruler.
Where Harrison comes from
Harrison is an English patronymic surname from Harry, which was how English speakers actually said Henry for several centuries — the formal Latin Henricus was for documents, Harry was for talking. Henry comes from the Germanic Heimirich, combining heim, home or estate, with ric, ruler. Because Harry was so common in medieval England, it generated Harrison, Harris and Harries as surnames. The name's modern American use owes something to William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison, both presidents, and it moved to first-name use in the twentieth century.
Harrison in use
Harry was the normal spoken form of Henry for centuries, which is why Harrison exists at all.
How popular is Harrison?
In 2025, Harrison was given to 3,080 babies in the United States, ranking #116 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Harrison 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 Harrison
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Harrison also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Harrison over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Harrison
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Harrison in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Harrisson
Sibling names for Harrison
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Harrison — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Harrison
What does the name Harrison mean?
Harrison means "son of Harry," and Harry stood for Henry, meaning home ruler.
Is Harry short for Harrison?
It works as one, though historically Harry was the spoken form of Henry.
Was Harrison originally a surname?
Yes, an English patronymic surname from the medieval period.
How popular is the name Harrison?
In 2025, Harrison was given to 3,080 babies in the United States, ranking #116 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Harrison a girl's or a boy's name?
Harrison is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Harrison?
Harrison has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Harrison?
Harrison is usually shortened to Harry, Harri and Harris.
Is Harrison a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Harrison currently ranks #40 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.