The meaning of the name “Henry” is: “Ruler of the Home”.
Additional information: The name Henry is derived originally from the name Henril from Old French. This French name was derived from a Germanic name Heinric or Heimrich, meaning "home-ruler" or "mighty, powerful, distinguished". Henry is a name that was given to a long line of kings in England, stopping at the notorious King Henry VIII.
Henry has remained popular throughout history evidenced by the fact that rulers from Britain, France and Germany have all carried it. The name Henry has also figured prominently in American history and was borne by the likes of statesmen William Henry Harrison (9th President), Henry Clay and Henry Kissinger, writers Henry Miller and Henry Thoreau, and poet Henry Longfellow.
Henry also occurs frequently as a surname. St Henry, a Holy Roman Emperor, founded many monasteries and encouraged missionary work. He is the only German king ever to be canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
Some variants that came about from this name include Harry and Herry, as well as the feminine names Harriet and Henrietta. This name can be seen in many other languages as well, with examples being Henrik, Heimirich, Heinrich, Henrik, Hendrik, Harri, Henning, Heinza, Enrico, Enzo, Rico, and Heiko.
The popularity of the name Henry has gone up and down throughout its recorded history. In the US, it peaked at the 8th most popular boy’s name in 1881 and stayed within the top 20 from 1880 until 1928 when it began to lose popularity. In the 2000s the name started to get more popular again, leading it to reach 33rd most popular boy’s name in the US in 2014. In England and Wales it was the 15th most popular boy's name in 2014, and in Australia, it was the 21st most popular that same year. Canada saw the name increase in popularity to 33rd most popular in 2014, and in New Zealand, it was ranked at the 30th most popular. Ireland and Sweden also featured this name in their top 100 most popular boy’s names lists.
Some of the notable individuals who shared the name Henry include King Henry VIII, a ruler of England; Henry Ford, an American entrepreneur; Henry Hudson, an explorer; Henry Fonda, an actor; Henry Simmons, an actor; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a poet; and Henry Moore, a sculptor.
The first thing you should know if you are considering Henry for your baby's name is that in most countries all over the world the name Henry is a boy name.
The name Henry is of German origin, and is used mostly in English speaking countries but also in a few other countries and languages of the world.
If you consider naming your baby Henry we recommend you take note of the special meaning and history of the name as your baby’s name will play a big role in its life and your baby will hear it spoken every day. Searching for a name is a very important and fun process as it’s the very first gift you will give to your baby. Many people believe that the name can affect success in life, through their children's working career and other circumstances, so they choose more “respectable” names or name meanings as they believe that the name meaning reflects the personality of the child.
Henry Name Meaning
The meaning of Henry is “Ruler of the Home”. Keep in mind that many names may have different meanings in other countries and languages, so be careful that the name that you choose doesn’t mean something bad or unpleasant. Search comprehensively and find the name meaning of Henry and its name origin or of any other name in our database. Also note the spelling and the pronunciation of the name Henry and check the initials of the name with your last name to discover how it looks and sounds. The history and meaning of the name Henry is fascinating, learn more about it. (If you know more meanings of the name and you would like to contribute click here to submit another name meaning).
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Name Henry Categories
The name Henry is in the following categories: Classic Names, English Names, Germanic Names, Movie Star Names, Old French Names, Pirate Names, President Names, Royal Names, Surnames Names. (If you would like to suggest one or more categories for the name, click here). We have plenty of different baby name categories to search for special meanings plus popular and unique names, search our database before choosing but also note that baby name categories designed to help you and not to be an influential factor when choosing a name. Instead, we recommend that you pay a greater attention to the origin and meaning of the name Henry. Read our baby name articles for useful tips regarding baby names and naming your baby. If you are thinking of giving your baby the beautiful name Henry, spread the love and share this with your friends.
Popularity of the Name Henry
Below you will find the popularity of the baby name Henry displayed annually, from 1880 to the present day in our name popularity chart. Hover over or click on the dots that represent a year to see how many babies were given the name for that year, for both genders, if available.
Henry Boy Name Popularity Chart
Henry Girl Name Popularity Chart
Note:The data above is from the Social Security Administrator of United States, (more info here) from Social Security card applications for births in US for every name, from 1880 up to the present year. The gender associated with the name might be incorrect, as the data presents the record applications without being edited for errors. The name's popularity and ranking is announced annually, so the data for this year will not be available until next year. The more babies that are given a name, the higher popularity ranking the name receives. For names with the same popularity, the tie is solved by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. This means that if two or more names have the same popularity their rankings may differ significantly, as they are set in alphabetical order. If a name has less than five occurrences, the SSA excludes it from the provided data to protect privacy.
If you’re not sure yet, see our wide selection of both boy names and girl names all over the world to find the ideal name for your new born baby. We offer a comprehensive and meaningful list of popular names and cool names along with the name's origin, meaning, pronunciation, popularity and additional information.
Do your research and choose a name wisely, kindly and selflessly.
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