| Henry | Herman | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Home ruler | Army man / soldier |
| Origin | Germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HEN-ree | HUR-mun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (12,020) | 1921 (3,219) |
| In 2025 | 12,020 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Henry | Herman |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 68,047 | 321 |
| 2010s | 92,585 | 750 |
| 2000s | 42,760 | 1,103 |
| 1990s | 25,249 | 1,957 |
| 1980s | 20,728 | 3,124 |
| 1970s | 23,511 | 4,761 |
| 1960s | 39,134 | 8,360 |
| 1950s | 62,230 | 13,832 |
| 1940s | 72,488 | 16,856 |
| 1930s | 70,419 | 20,319 |
| 1920s | 104,552 | 29,011 |
| 1910s | 79,667 | 22,598 |
| 1900s | 21,772 | 5,064 |
| 1890s | 21,664 | 4,232 |
| 1880s | 24,139 | 3,689 |
Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” from heim (“home”) and ric (“ruler”). It has been borne by eight English kings.
From Germanic 'heri' (army) and 'man' (man), giving 'man of the army, soldier'. The Latinized Arminius refers to the same Cheruscan war-leader.
Henry is more popular than Herman today: about 12,020 US babies were given the name Henry in 2025, compared with 0 named Herman.
Henry means Home ruler (Germanic origin), while Herman means Army man / soldier (germanic origin).
In US records, Henry first appears in 1880 and Herman in 0, so Herman has the longer recorded history.