Herbert

Herbert - A very unique male name

Herbert appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #41. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Herbert and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Herbert? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Herbert. The baby boy name Herbert was given to 12 baby boys in 2024, ranking #2965 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 123,043 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Herbert peaked in popularity 98 years ago in 1928 on position 25.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Herbert, 1-5?

Herbert is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Herbert is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,088 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,748.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Herbert is where you live.

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Herbert origin and meaning

Germanic

From Old High German Heribert: heri, 'army,' plus beraht, 'bright, famous'

Herbert is an old Germanic name carried to England by the Normans and borne by saints, poets and a US president. In the data from 1910 it peaked in 1928 and reached 208,108 lifetime births; it was still recorded in 2020 but has no births recorded in 2025. Its long respectability is exactly what now makes it feel antique.

Attested etymology

Herbert is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Herbert, pop culture references for the name Herbert and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Herbert

We've found the following names that sound similar to Herbert, sorted by popularity.

Heriberto / Harper / Harpreet / Harbor / Hurbert / Herberth / Herber / Harvard / Herberto / Harveer /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Herbert

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Herbert a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Herbert?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HER-bert · /ˈhɜːrbərt/

Around the world

• Herbert (German) — The same name used as-is in German
• Heriberto (Spanish) — The Spanish form of the same Germanic name

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: HerbHerbieBert

Famous bearers

• Herbert Hoover — 31st President of the United States (1929–1933) (1874–1964) Historical

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

A solid, serious name with a presidential bearer and a century of use — today chosen, when at all, to honour a grandfather.

Worth knowing

• Reads as strongly dated; no births recorded in 2025 after a 1928 peak
• The nicknames Herb and Herbie carry their own dated or slang associations