Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1928

Herbert

Meaning From Old French Herbert, from Frankish *Hariberht Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,656 Trend → Stable

From Old French Herbert, from Frankish *Hariberht.

Rank 2025
#2,656
among boys · ↓200 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
49
named Herbert · -12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 34,859
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1928
8,113 babies
All-time total
229,383
#169 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Herbert popularity over time

229,383 babies have been named Herbert 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
2.557.51018801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 4,257 4,257 426 – #38
1890s 10 5,660 5,670 567 +33% #33
1900s 18 6,957 6,975 698 +23% #34
1910s 143 33,860 34,003 3,400 +387% #39
1920s 315 56,531 56,846 5,685 +67% #25
1930s 229 37,821 38,050 3,805 -33% #35
1940s 121 28,710 28,831 2,883 -24% #75
1950s 109 24,298 24,407 2,441 -15% #112
1960s 91 13,701 13,792 1,379 -43% #176
1970s 56 7,248 7,304 730 -47% #230
1980s 25 4,463 4,488 449 -39% #331
1990s – 2,409 2,409 241 -46% #529
2000s – 1,234 1,234 123 -49% #966
2010s – 767 767 77 -38% #1,591
2020s (to 2025) – 350 350 58 -24% #2,136

Where Herbert 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 48 0.03 outside top 500
2027 48 0.03 outside top 500
2028 48 0.03 outside top 500
2029 47 0.03 outside top 500
2030 47 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Herbert

Herbert is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,656 in 2025 with 49 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 229,383 American babies have been named Herbert. Its peak came in 1928, when 8,113 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 Herbert stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Herbert?

The median living Herbert is about 69 years old; half are between 57 and 78. An estimated 66 thousand people named Herbert are alive in the United States today.

median 69 020406080100

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

Herbert 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 – – 49 #2,656
2024 – – 56 #2,456
2023 – – 68 #2,136
2022 – – 65 #2,224
2021 – – 53 #2,509
2020 – – 59 #2,304
2019 – – 54 #2,470
2018 – – 71 #2,037
2017 – – 77 #1,887
2016 – – 80 #1,867
2015 – – 79 #1,858
2014 – – 75 #1,931
2013 – – 79 #1,817
2012 – – 72 #1,969
2011 – – 81 #1,786
2010 – – 99 #1,591
2009 – – 94 #1,674
2008 – – 110 #1,484
2007 – – 104 #1,519
2006 – – 113 #1,405
2005 – – 118 #1,297
2004 – – 109 #1,346
2003 – – 120 #1,222
2002 – – 161 #978
2001 – – 148 #1,011
2000 – – 157 #966
1995 – – 217 #725
1990 – – 349 #529
1985 – – 430 #410
1980 5 #10,943 568 #331
1975 – – 671 #287
1970 6 #7,386 1,034 #230
1965 12 #3,815 1,380 #183
1960 12 #3,778 1,782 #176
1955 17 #2,764 2,504 #129
1950 8 #4,091 2,621 #112
1945 18 #2,012 2,664 #94
1940 16 #2,055 2,875 #75
1935 18 #1,873 3,437 #58
1930 47 #1,078 5,675 #35
1925 32 #1,452 4,924 #42
1920 19 #2,035 5,249 #41
1915 18 #1,835 4,341 #40
1910 – – 886 #41
1905 7 #1,601 681 #37
1900 – – 751 #36
1895 – – 569 #36
1890 – – 467 #42
1885 – – 388 #45
1880 – – 424 #38

Famous people named Herbert

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

  1. 1 Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover President of the United States from 1929 to 1933 1874–1964 · 19th century
  2. 2 Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener British army officer and colonial administrator (1850–1916) 19th century
  3. 3 Herbert Marcuse Herbert Marcuse German–American philosopher, sociologist, and political theorist (1898–1979) 19th century
  4. 4 Herbert Lom Herbert Lom Czech actor (1917–2012) Contemporary
  5. 5 Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer English philosopher and political theorist (1820–1903) 19th century
  6. 6 Herbert von Karajan Herbert von Karajan Austrian conductor (1908–1989) Contemporary
  7. 7 Herbert Ross American choreographer and film & theatre director (1927–2001) Contemporary
  8. 8 Herbert A. Simon Herbert A. Simon American academic and Nobel Laureate (1916–2001) Contemporary
  9. 9 Herbert Kappler Herbert Kappler SS officer (1907–1978) Contemporary
  10. 10 Herbert von Bismarck Herbert von Bismarck German politician (1849–1904) 19th century
  11. 11 Herbert Chapman Herbert Chapman English association football player and manager (1878–1934) 19th century
  12. 12 Herbert Grönemeyer Herbert Grönemeyer German singer, musician and actor (born 1956) Contemporary
  13. 13 Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel British politician (1870–1963) 19th century
  14. 14 Herbert Backe Herbert Backe German Nazi politician and SS functionary (1896–1947) 19th century
  15. 15 Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Blomstedt Swedish conductor (born 1927) Contemporary
  16. 16 Herbert Gille Herbert Gille German Waffen-SS commander, SS-Obergruppenführer (1897–1966) 19th century
  17. 17 Herbert Pitman Herbert Pitman British Merchant seaman (1877–1961) 19th century
  18. 18 Herbert Kilpin Herbert Kilpin English footballer (1870–1916) 19th century
  19. 19 Herbert James Draper Herbert James Draper British painter (1863-1920) 19th century
  20. 20 Herbert Read Herbert Read English anarchist and writer (1893–1968) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Herbert?

The median living Herbert is about 69 years old. Half of all living Herberts are between 57 and 78 years old.

How many people named Herbert are alive today?

An estimated 66 thousand people named Herbert are alive in the United States, based on 229,383 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Herbert mean?

From Old French Herbert, from Frankish *Hariberht.

How popular is the name Herbert in 2025?

Herbert ranked #2,656 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 49 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Herbert?

229,383 babies have been named Herbert in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Herbert most popular?

Herbert peaked in 1928, when 8,113 newborns received the name.

Is Herbert a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Herbert rising or falling?

Herbert is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Herbert become more popular?

Herbert looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 boys named Herbert in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Herbert?

Well-known people named Herbert include Herbert Hoover (politician), Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (engineer), Herbert Marcuse (philosopher).

Names like Herbert

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

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