Herby

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Herby

Pronounced HER-bee /ˈhɜr.bi/High

Meaning: Herby is a diminutive of Herbert, from the Old German elements heri, 'army,' and beraht, 'bright,' together suggesting 'bright army'; it was used as a stand-alone given name in its own right, not only as a nickname.Medium

In 30 seconds: Herby is a diminutive of Herbert, meaning 'bright army' in Old German, given here as its own name. It peaked early, around 1929 (said HER-bee).

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumGermanic, English

MeaningHerby is a diminutive of Herbert, from the Old German elements heri, 'army,' and beraht, 'bright,' together suggesting 'bright army'; it was used as a stand-alone given name in its own right, not only as a nickname.

U.S. rank (2005)#10582 ↗ Rising

2005 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1929

Total births (all-time)≈ 649

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

Herby is the diminutive of Herbert, from the Old German heri, 'army,' and beraht, 'bright.' Though usually a nickname, it appears in early-twentieth-century United States records as a first name families gave directly.

Herby was never common as a formal given name, given to about eighteen boys a year at its peak around 1929, and it faded from use by the 2000s. A boy named Herby at its peak would be around a hundred years old today.

Did you know? Herby was borne as a birth name in its own right, not just as a childhood nickname for Herbert; mid-century families sometimes chose the friendlier diminutive form outright.

Overall data confidence 65%

Behind the Name - Herbert — Old German heri 'army' + beraht 'bright'

Variations

HerbieHerbert

Nicknames

HerbBert

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Herby…

Herbert— the formal parent name

Herbie— a near-identical spelling variant

Hubert— a like Germanic 'bright' -bert name

Delbert— another vintage -bert relative

Explore names like Herby

By themevintage germanic diminutive uncommon

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Herby mean?

It is a diminutive of Herbert, from Old German elements meaning 'army' and 'bright.'

How do you pronounce Herby?

It is said HER-bee /ˈhɜr.bi/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Herby a boy or girl name?

Herby is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Herby?

It has always been rare in the United States as a given first name, given to under twenty boys a year even at its peak in the late 1920s.