| Henry | Robert | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Home ruler | Bright fame |
| Origin | Germanic | Germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HEN-ree | ROB-ert |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (12,020) | 1947 (91,655) |
| In 2025 | 12,020 | 3,772 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Henry | Robert |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 68,047 | 24,325 |
| 2010s | 92,585 | 62,654 |
| 2000s | 42,760 | 106,666 |
| 1990s | 25,249 | 205,459 |
| 1980s | 20,728 | 321,655 |
| 1970s | 23,511 | 397,225 |
| 1960s | 39,134 | 650,786 |
| 1950s | 62,230 | 830,395 |
| 1940s | 72,488 | 758,126 |
| 1930s | 70,419 | 590,810 |
| 1920s | 104,552 | 576,374 |
| 1910s | 79,667 | 239,185 |
| 1900s | 21,772 | 35,849 |
| 1890s | 21,664 | 26,147 |
| 1880s | 24,139 | 24,074 |
Henry is a Germanic name meaning “home ruler,” from heim (“home”) and ric (“ruler”). It has been borne by eight English kings.
Robert is a Germanic name from hrod (“fame”) and beraht (“bright”), so “bright fame.” A Norman favourite, it was borne by the Scottish hero-king Robert the Bruce.
Henry is more popular than Robert today: about 12,020 US babies were given the name Henry in 2025, compared with 3,772 named Robert.
Henry means Home ruler (Germanic origin), while Robert means Bright fame (Germanic origin).
In US records, Henry first appears in 1880 and Robert in 1880, so Henry has the longer recorded history.