Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Hamlet

Hamlet

♂ Boy

Pronounced HAM-lit /ˈhæm.lɪt/High

Meaning: Best known as the tragic Danish prince of Shakespeare's play, drawn from the older Scandinavian Amleth. As a name it also links to a Germanic diminutive (Haim, 'home'), so 'little home.' Documented.Low

In 30 seconds: A literary name: Hamlet is Shakespeare's Danish prince, also read as 'little home' (said 'HAM-lit'). Dramatic and bookish.
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumEnglish, Germanic
MeaningBest known as the tragic Danish prince of Shakespeare's play, drawn from the older Scandinavian Amleth. As a name it also links to a Germanic diminutive (Haim, 'home'), so 'little home.' Documented.
U.S. rank (2024)#12917 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2019
Total births (all-time)≈ 245

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201919112024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Hamlet is famous as the tragic prince of Shakespeare's play, based on the Scandinavian Amleth. As a given name it also links to a Germanic diminutive of Haim ('home'), so 'little home.' Rare and richly literary, it carries centuries of stage history. A bookish, dramatic pick (said 'HAM-lit').

It appears only rarely for boys in the U.S., a striking, theatrical name. Rare, literary, and bold.

Did you know? Hamlet is Shakespeare's brooding Danish prince, drawn from the older Norse legend of Amleth — and as a name it also ties to a Germanic root for 'home.' A dramatic, literary pick (said 'HAM-lit').
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Hamlet — Shakespeare's Danish prince (from Amleth); also Germanic 'little home'

Variations

AmlethHamnet

Nicknames

HamLett

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Hamlet…

Horatio— a like Shakespearean name
Holden— a fellow English choice
Henrik— another Germanic name
Harlow— another vintage pick
Hubert— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Hamlet

By themevintageliterarydramaticshakespeare
By meaningRoyal / Noble

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Hamlet mean?

Hamlet is best known as Shakespeare's Danish prince (from the older Amleth); as a name it also links to a Germanic root for 'home,' so 'little home.'

How do you pronounce Hamlet?

It's said HAM-lit /ˈhæm.lɪt/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Hamlet a boy or girl name?

Hamlet is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Hamlet?

Hamlet is a rare, literary name for boys in the U.S.

💬 Ask Nia