The first name Herbert
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /ˈhɝbɚt/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From Old French Herbert, from Frankish *Hariberht.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 40 boys were named Herbert, making it the 811th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 52 births (#672).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Herbert with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Herbert at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 49 boys born in the United States were named Herbert, the 2,656th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1928, when 8,065 were.
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.
Herbert in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Herbert in Czech, German, Polish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Herbert
335 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Herbert SpencerEnglish philosopher and political theorist (1820–1903)
- Herbert von KarajanAustrian conductor (1908–1989)
- Herbert SimonAmerican political scientist, economist, sociologist, and psychologist (1916–2001)
- Herbert KroemerGerman-American physics (1928–2024)
- Herbert C. BrownAmerican chemist (1912–2004)
- Herbert A. HauptmanAmerican mathematician (1917–2011)
- Herbert Spencer GasserAmerican physiologist (1888-1963)
- George Herbert MeadAmerican philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist (1863–1931)
- Herbert LomCzech actor (1917–2012)
- Herbert WimmerGerman footballer (born 1944)
- Herbert ChapmanEnglish association football player and manager (1878-1934)
- Herbert KicklAustrian politician, born 1968
Questions
- What does the name Herbert mean?
- From Old French Herbert, from Frankish *Hariberht.
- How popular is the name Herbert?
- In 2025, 40 boys born in England and Wales were named Herbert, ranking 811th. Its peak was 2016, with 52 births.
- What are nicknames for Herbert?
- Common nicknames for Herbert include Herb, Herbie.
- Is Herbert a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 229,383 US babies named Herbert since 1880 were boys.
- When was Herbert most popular?
- 1928 in the United States, when 8,065 babies were named Herbert, its highest rank at 25th.
- How do you pronounce Herbert?
- Herbert is /ˈhɝbɚt/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Herbert?
- Hebbard.
- Is Herbert also a surname?
- Yes. Herbert is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.