Henry

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

• English and French : from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements haim, heim ‘home’ + rīc ‘power’, ‘ruler’, introduced to England by the Normans in the form Henri. During the Middle Ages this name became enormously popular in England and was borne by eight kings. Continental forms of the personal name were equally popular throughout Europe (German Heinrich, French Henri, Italian Enrico and Arrigo, Czech Jindřich, etc.). As an American family name, the English form Henry has absorbed patronymics and many other derivatives of this ancient name in continental European languages. (For forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988.) In the period in which the majority of English surnames were formed, a common English vernacular form of the name was Harry, hence the surnames Harris (southern) and Harrison (northern). Official documents of the period normally used the Latinized form Henricus. In medieval times, English Henry absorbed an originally distinct Old English personal name that had hagan ‘hawthorn’. Compare Hain 2 as its first element, and there has also been confusion with Amery.
• Irish : Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hInnéirghe ‘descendant of Innéirghe’, a byname based on éirghe ‘arising’.
• Irish : Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Éinrí or Mac Einri, patronymics from the personal names Éinrí, Einri, Irish forms of Henry. It is also found as a variant of McEnery.
• Jewish (American) : Americanized form of various like-sounding Ashkenazic Jewish names.
• A bearer of the name from the Touraine region of France is documented in Quebec city in 1667. Another (also called <xref>Laforge</xref>), from the Champagne region, is documented in Montreal in 1710. Other secondary surnames include Berranger, Labori, <xref>Livernois</xref>, Madou.

Famous people with this first name

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Henry has been steadily gaining in popularity over the last two decades, rising from position 126 in 2000 to its peak popularity at position 9 in 2020, the first year it broke the top 10, as well.

However, it is the 28th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years, "Henry"was at its peak popularity in April 2016.

Although Henry has a rich history as a royal name, today is is more popular than it's ever been. It has been used throughout history with notable figures like Henry VIII and Henry Ford; however, today more and more celebs are choosing it for their sons including Julia Roberts, Heidi Klum, and Colin Farrell.

Where is it Popular?

Henry was searched for most often in the following states:

Nicknames for Henry

• Hank
• Harry
• Hen
• Henny

Pairs well with these middle names