boy's name
Harry
HA-ree
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 594,481
the United States
#776
2025 births
Harry is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "home ruler." It was the ordinary spoken English form of Henry for centuries — Henry was for documents, Harry was for talking — and comes from heim, home, and ric, ruler.
- Harry is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1918, when 9,938 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 307 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Harry over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Harry is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. 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 | 22,747 |
| 1890s | 21,431 |
| 1900s | 18,003 |
| 1910s | 66,155 |
| 1920s | 86,694 |
| 1930s | 53,397 |
| 1940s | 56,447 |
| 1950s | 43,489 |
| 1960s | 22,795 |
| 1970s | 11,760 |
| 1980s | 7,584 |
| 1990s | 5,406 |
| 2000s | 4,311 |
| 2010s | 3,603 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,061 |
What Harry means
Harry means home ruler, or ruler of the household and by extension the estate. It carries the meaning of Henry unchanged, because it is simply how English speakers said Henry.
Where Harry comes from
Harry descends from Henry, itself from the Germanic Heimirich, combining heim, home or estate, with ric, ruler or power. The Normans brought Henri to England, where English speakers said Harry and clerks wrote Henricus — a gap that lasted from the twelfth century into the seventeenth. Eight English kings named Henry were called Harry in speech, which is why Shakespeare has the Chorus of Henry V speak of a little touch of Harry in the night. Harry also generated the surnames Harris, Harrison and Harries, and it is the source of the everyday word harry only by coincidence, that verb coming from a separate Old English root meaning to raid.
Harry in use
Our data shows Harry stable rather than rising, holding at 19 in England and Wales while ranking around 776 in United States records. It peaked in 1918, and the century since has not moved it far — a rare thing in a dataset where most names swing hard.
How popular is Harry?
In 2025, Harry was given to 1,718 babies in England and Wales, ranking #19 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Harry is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Harry
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Harry also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Harry over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Harry
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.
Harry 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.
Sibling names for Harry
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Harry — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Harry
What does the name Harry mean?
Harry means "home ruler," from the Germanic heim, home, and ric, ruler — the same meaning as Henry.
Is Harry short for Henry?
Historically it was not a nickname but the actual spoken form of Henry. Prince Harry is formally Henry, following that tradition.
Why were English kings called Harry?
Because Harry was how English speakers pronounced Henry. The Latin Henricus was a written convention, not a spoken one.
How popular is the name Harry?
In 2025, Harry was given to 1,718 babies in England and Wales, ranking #19 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Harry a girl's or a boy's name?
Harry is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Harry?
Harry has 2 syllables.
When was Harry most popular?
Harry peaked in 1918, when 9,938 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Harry?
Harry is usually shortened to Hal.
Is Harry a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Harry currently ranks #14 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.