Henry

♀ Girl

Pronounced HEN-ree /ˈhɛn.ri/High

Meaning: From the Germanic Heimirich, 'home ruler; ruler of the household' (heim, 'home', + ric, 'ruler; power'); overwhelmingly a boys' name; here for girls; flaggedLow

In 30 seconds: Home ruler; ruler of the household: Henry is Germanic. Crisp, classic, and warm. Overwhelmingly a boys' name (here for girls).

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowGermanic

MeaningFrom the Germanic Heimirich, 'home ruler; ruler of the household' (heim, 'home', + ric, 'ruler; power'); overwhelmingly a boys' name; here for girls; flagged

U.S. rank (2025)#5993 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births20 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1925

Total births (all-time)≈ 4,619

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Henry comes from the Germanic Heimirich, 'home ruler; ruler of the household' (heim, 'home', + ric, 'ruler; power'; borne by eight English kings). It is overwhelmingly a boys' name; here it is used for a girl (slug distinguished; we flag the cross-sex use). A crisp, classic name (said 'HEN-ree').

In the U.S. it is overwhelmingly a boys' name. Rare for girls, home-ruler at the root, and classic.

Did you know? Henry comes from the Germanic Heimirich, 'home ruler; ruler of the household' (heim, 'home', + ric, 'ruler') — overwhelmingly a boys' name, used here for a girl (we flag the cross-sex use; said 'HEN-ree').

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Henry — overwhelmingly boys'; here girls'

Variations

HenrieHenriHenley

Nicknames

Hen

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Henry…

Henrietta— the feminine form

Harlow— a sound-neighbor H- girls' name

Everly— a fellow classic-style girls' name

Emory— a companion surname-style girls' name

Explore names like Henry

By themeuncertain unisex germanic

By meaningStrength Royal / Noble

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Henry mean?

Henry is Germanic 'home ruler; ruler of the household'; overwhelmingly a boys' name, used here for a girl.

How do you pronounce Henry?

It's said HEN-ree /ˈhɛn.ri/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Henry a boy or girl name?

Henry is overwhelmingly a boys' name; this page covers its rarer use as a girl's name.

How popular is Henry?

Henry is very rare as a girl's name in the U.S.