Henry
What does the name Henry mean?
The meaning of the name “Henry” is: “Ruler of the Home”.
Additional information: The name Henry is derived originally from the name Henril from Old French. This French name was derived from a Germanic name Heinric or Heimrich, meaning "home-ruler" or "mighty, powerful, distinguished". Henry is a name that was given to a long line of kings in England, stopping at the notorious King Henry VIII.
Henry has remained popular throughout history evidenced by the fact that rulers from Britain, France and Germany have all carried it. The name Henry has also figured prominently in American history and was borne by the likes of statesmen William Henry Harrison (9th President), Henry Clay and Henry Kissinger, writers Henry Miller and Henry Thoreau, and poet Henry Longfellow.
Henry also occurs frequently as a surname. St Henry, a Holy Roman Emperor, founded many monasteries and encouraged missionary work. He is the only German king ever to be canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
Some variants that came about from this name include Harry and Herry, as well as the feminine names Harriet and Henrietta. This name can be seen in many other languages as well, with examples being Henrik, Heimirich, Heinrich, Henrik, Hendrik, Harri, Henning, Heinza, Enrico, Enzo, Rico, and Heiko.
The popularity of the name Henry has gone up and down throughout its recorded history. In the US, it peaked at the 8th most popular boy’s name in 1881 and stayed within the top 20 from 1880 until 1928 when it began to lose popularity. In the 2000s the name started to get more popular again, leading it to reach 33rd most popular boy’s name in the US in 2014. In England and Wales it was the 15th most popular boy's name in 2014, and in Australia, it was the 21st most popular that same year. Canada saw the name increase in popularity to 33rd most popular in 2014, and in New Zealand, it was ranked at the 30th most popular. Ireland and Sweden also featured this name in their top 100 most popular boy’s names lists.
Some of the notable individuals who shared the name Henry include King Henry VIII, a ruler of England; Henry Ford, an American entrepreneur; Henry Hudson, an explorer; Henry Fonda, an actor; Henry Simmons, an actor; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a poet; and Henry Moore, a sculptor.
Henry has remained popular throughout history evidenced by the fact that rulers from Britain, France and Germany have all carried it. The name Henry has also figured prominently in American history and was borne by the likes of statesmen William Henry Harrison (9th President), Henry Clay and Henry Kissinger, writers Henry Miller and Henry Thoreau, and poet Henry Longfellow.
Henry also occurs frequently as a surname. St Henry, a Holy Roman Emperor, founded many monasteries and encouraged missionary work. He is the only German king ever to be canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
Some variants that came about from this name include Harry and Herry, as well as the feminine names Harriet and Henrietta. This name can be seen in many other languages as well, with examples being Henrik, Heimirich, Heinrich, Henrik, Hendrik, Harri, Henning, Heinza, Enrico, Enzo, Rico, and Heiko.
The popularity of the name Henry has gone up and down throughout its recorded history. In the US, it peaked at the 8th most popular boy’s name in 1881 and stayed within the top 20 from 1880 until 1928 when it began to lose popularity. In the 2000s the name started to get more popular again, leading it to reach 33rd most popular boy’s name in the US in 2014. In England and Wales it was the 15th most popular boy's name in 2014, and in Australia, it was the 21st most popular that same year. Canada saw the name increase in popularity to 33rd most popular in 2014, and in New Zealand, it was ranked at the 30th most popular. Ireland and Sweden also featured this name in their top 100 most popular boy’s names lists.
Some of the notable individuals who shared the name Henry include King Henry VIII, a ruler of England; Henry Ford, an American entrepreneur; Henry Hudson, an explorer; Henry Fonda, an actor; Henry Simmons, an actor; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a poet; and Henry Moore, a sculptor.
Categories: Classic Names, English Names, Germanic Names, Movie Star Names, Old French Names, Pirate Names, President Names, Royal Names, Surnames Names
Used in: English speaking countries
Gender: Boy Names
Origins: German
Starts with: H
