Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Hardy

Meaning island, dry land in a marsh Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,496 Trend ↑ Rising 39%

From Old English *Hearda + īeġ (“island, dry land in a marsh”).

Rank 2025
#2,496
among boys · ↑42 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
54
named Hardy · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 31,631
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
151 babies
All-time total
5,831
#1,625 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hardy popularity over time

5,831 babies have been named Hardy since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 191 191 19 – #334
1890s – 194 194 19 +2% #336
1900s – 188 188 19 -3% #450
1910s – 549 549 55 +192% #553
1920s 5 958 963 96 +75% #503
1930s 5 598 603 60 -37% #724
1940s – 737 737 74 +22% #700
1950s – 554 554 55 -25% #841
1960s – 432 432 43 -22% #984
1970s – 268 268 27 -38% #1,399
1980s – 193 193 19 -28% #2,059
1990s – 161 161 16 -17% #2,729
2000s – 180 180 18 +12% #3,635
2010s – 312 312 31 +73% #2,599
2020s (to 2025) 7 299 306 51 +63% #2,278

Where Hardy is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 57 0.03 outside top 500
2027 60 0.04 outside top 500
2028 63 0.04 outside top 500
2029 65 0.04 outside top 500
2030 67 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Hardy

Hardy is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,496 in 2025 with 54 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 5,831 American babies have been named Hardy. Its peak came in 1921, when 151 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hardy stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hardy?

The median living Hardy is about 53 years old; half are between 18 and 71. An estimated 2,600 people named Hardy are alive in the United States today.

median 53 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hardy year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 54 #2,496
2024 – – 53 #2,538
2023 – – 39 #3,139
2022 7 #12,723 63 #2,278
2021 – – 52 #2,534
2020 – – 38 #3,039
2019 – – 37 #3,161
2018 – – 35 #3,264
2017 – – 32 #3,475
2016 – – 48 #2,599
2015 – – 43 #2,784
2014 – – 32 #3,408
2013 – – 20 #4,688
2012 – – 28 #3,743
2011 – – 20 #4,723
2010 – – 17 #5,334
2009 – – 22 #4,484
2008 – – 13 #6,537
2007 – – 13 #6,394
2006 – – 28 #3,635
2005 – – 20 #4,377
2004 – – 15 #5,345
2003 – – 20 #4,170
2002 – – 22 #3,842
2001 – – 17 #4,561
2000 – – 10 #6,497
1995 – – 13 #4,622
1990 – – 24 #2,729
1985 – – 19 #2,637
1980 – – 21 #2,394
1975 – – 32 #1,603
1970 – – 36 #1,403
1965 – – 40 #1,212
1960 – – 53 #1,062
1955 – – 55 #1,018
1950 – – 54 #939
1945 – – 71 #730
1940 – – 62 #790
1935 – – 63 #782
1930 – – 59 #861
1925 – – 83 #712
1920 – – 111 #594
1915 – – 55 #827
1910 – – 26 #560
1905 – – 8 #960
1900 – – 26 #450
1895 – – 18 #481
1890 – – 27 #336
1885 – – 15 #491
1880 – – 19 #396

Famous people named Hardy

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hardy Krüger Hardy Krüger German actor and author (1928–2022) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hardy, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hardy?

The median living Hardy is about 53 years old. Half of all living Hardys are between 18 and 71 years old.

How many people named Hardy are alive today?

An estimated 2,600 people named Hardy are alive in the United States, based on 5,831 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hardy mean?

From Old English *Hearda + īeġ (“island, dry land in a marsh”).

How popular is the name Hardy in 2025?

Hardy ranked #2,496 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 54 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hardy?

5,831 babies have been named Hardy in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hardy most popular?

Hardy peaked in 1921, when 151 newborns received the name.

Is Hardy a boy or girl name?

Hardy is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hardy rising or falling?

Hardy is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Hardy become more popular?

Hardy is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 67 boys named Hardy in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hardy?

Well-known people named Hardy include Hardy Krüger (actor).

Names like Hardy

Names that sound and feel close to Hardy: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hardy with similar names → More names starting with H →