| Henry | Bernard | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Home ruler | Bold as a bear |
| Origin | Germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HEN-ree | BUR-nard |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (12,020) | 1924 (4,505) |
| In 2025 | 12,020 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Henry | Bernard |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 68,047 | 845 |
| 2010s | 92,585 | 1,608 |
| 2000s | 42,760 | 2,252 |
| 1990s | 25,249 | 4,159 |
| 1980s | 20,728 | 6,507 |
| 1970s | 23,511 | 9,100 |
| 1960s | 39,134 | 17,475 |
| 1950s | 62,230 | 25,887 |
| 1940s | 72,488 | 26,446 |
| 1930s | 70,419 | 30,545 |
| 1920s | 104,552 | 42,408 |
| 1910s | 79,667 | 25,628 |
| 1900s | 21,772 | 3,296 |
| 1890s | 21,664 | 2,315 |
| 1880s | 24,139 | 1,616 |
Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” from heim (“home”) and ric (“ruler”). It has been borne by eight English kings.
From Germanic 'bern' (bear) and 'hard' (brave, hardy), 'brave/strong as a bear' - the bear being a warrior symbol. Borne by several saints.
Henry is more popular than Bernard today: about 12,020 US babies were given the name Henry in 2025, compared with 0 named Bernard.
Henry means Home ruler (Germanic origin), while Bernard means Bold as a bear (germanic origin).
In US records, Henry first appears in 1880 and Bernard in 0, so Bernard has the longer recorded history.