Henry

HEN-ree /ˈhɛn.ri/

Boy Old German ModernTraditional Classic top 100 Rising — climbing in current registries

Meaning of Henry

Root meaning "home ruler"

Henry comes from the Old German Heimerich: heim ('home') + ric ('ruler'). It was the name of eight English kings, from Henry I (1100) to Henry VIII (1547), which firmly cemented its long-running use in English. The German form is Heinrich; the French is Henri.

Current popularity of Henry

Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.

RegistryYearRank
United States (SSA)2024#12
United Kingdom (ONS)2024#14

Notable bearers of Henry

Henry VIII; Henry James (novelist); Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales.

Similar names & variants

Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.

HankHarryHeinrichHenriEnrico

Sibling-name suggestions

Names that pair stylistically with Henry — useful as middle names or for siblings.

TheodoreOliverCharlotteAmeliaEleanor

About this entry

Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-05-31