The first name Henry
A boy’s name from French.
Pronounced /ˈhɛn.ɹi/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
French origin
From Middle English Henry, from Old French (and Anglo-Norman) Henri, from Frankish *Haimrik, from Proto-Germanic *Haimarīks. Cognate with German Heinrich, Dutch Hendrik, Estonian Hendrik, and Old Norse Heimríkr (Danish Henrik).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 2,295 boys were named Henry, making it the 13th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 3,581 births (#13).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Henry with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Henry at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 12,020 boys born in the United States were named Henry, the 5th most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Henry in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Henry
1,222 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Henry FordAmerican business magnate (1863–1947)
- Henry David ThoreauAmerican essayist, poet, and philosopher (1817–1862)
- Henry KissingerAmerican diplomat and geopolitical advisor, served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1973 to
- Thomas Henry HuxleyBritish biologist and comparative anatomist (1825–1895)
- Henry JamesAmerican and British writer (1843–1916)
- William Henry BraggBritish scientist (1862–1942)
- Henry FondaAmerican actor (1905–1982)
- Henry MillerAmerican novelist (1891–1980)
- Henry CavendishEnglish natural philosopher, and scientist (1731–1810)
- Henry CavillBritish actor (born 1983)
- Henry FieldingEnglish novelist and dramatist (1707–1754)
- Henry Morton StanleyBritish journalist and explorer (1841–1904)
More French boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Henry mean?
- From Middle English Henry, from Old French (and Anglo-Norman) Henri, from Frankish *Haimrik, from Proto-Germanic *Haimarīks. Cognate with German Heinrich, Dutch Hendrik, Estonian Hendrik, and Old Norse Heimríkr (Danish Henrik).
- What is the origin of the name Henry?
- From Middle English Henry, from Old French (and Anglo-Norman) Henri, from Frankish *Haimrik, from Proto-Germanic *Haimarīks. Cognate with German Heinrich, Dutch Hendrik, Estonian Hendrik, and Old Norse Heimríkr (Danish Henrik).
- How popular is the name Henry?
- In 2025, 2,295 boys born in England and Wales were named Henry, ranking 13th. Its peak was 2015, with 3,581 births.
- What are nicknames for Henry?
- Common nicknames for Henry include Harry, Hank.
- Is Henry a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 773,564 US babies named Henry since 1880 were boys.
- When was Henry most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 12,020 babies were named Henry, its highest rank at 5th.
- How do you pronounce Henry?
- Henry is /ˈhɛn.ɹi/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Henry?
- Henri, Henrie, Henery and Hendry.
- Is Henry also a surname?
- Yes. Henry is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.