| Henry | Louis | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Home ruler | Famous warrior |
| Origin | Germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HEN-ree | LOO-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (12,020) | 1921 (7,247) |
| In 2025 | 12,020 | 1,391 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Henry | Louis |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 68,047 | 8,577 |
| 2010s | 92,585 | 11,815 |
| 2000s | 42,760 | 10,262 |
| 1990s | 25,249 | 14,436 |
| 1980s | 20,728 | 17,354 |
| 1970s | 23,511 | 20,145 |
| 1960s | 39,134 | 33,382 |
| 1950s | 62,230 | 47,933 |
| 1940s | 72,488 | 49,430 |
| 1930s | 70,419 | 47,754 |
| 1920s | 104,552 | 67,693 |
| 1910s | 79,667 | 50,600 |
| 1900s | 21,772 | 10,372 |
| 1890s | 21,664 | 8,442 |
| 1880s | 24,139 | 8,275 |
Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” from heim (“home”) and ric (“ruler”). It has been borne by eight English kings.
From the Frankish Hludwig, combining 'hlud' (famous, loud) with 'wig' (war, battle), hence 'famous in war'. Carried by 18 kings of France.
Henry is more popular than Louis today: about 12,020 US babies were given the name Henry in 2025, compared with 1,391 named Louis.
Henry means Home ruler (Germanic origin), while Louis means Famous warrior (germanic origin).
In US records, Henry first appears in 1880 and Louis in 1880, so Henry has the longer recorded history.