boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Herman

Meaning army Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,368 Trend → Stable

From Old English here (“army”) + man (“man”) It was revived in the 19th century, partly due to American immigrants from continental Europe where the name has been more…

Rank 2025
#2,368
among boys · ↑280 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
58
named Herman · +16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 29,450
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
3,239 babies
All-time total
136,772
#248 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Herman popularity over time

136,772 babies have been named Herman 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
1.252.53.75518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 3,689 3,689 369 – #44
1890s 20 4,232 4,252 425 +15% #44
1900s 17 5,064 5,081 508 +19% #47
1910s 118 22,598 22,716 2,272 +347% #49
1920s 194 29,011 29,205 2,921 +29% #64
1930s 140 20,319 20,459 2,046 -30% #78
1940s 101 16,856 16,957 1,696 -17% #113
1950s 87 13,832 13,919 1,392 -18% #159
1960s 72 8,360 8,432 843 -39% #246
1970s 40 4,761 4,801 480 -43% #317
1980s 6 3,124 3,130 313 -35% #428
1990s – 1,957 1,957 196 -37% #622
2000s – 1,103 1,103 110 -44% #1,092
2010s – 750 750 75 -32% #1,680
2020s (to 2025) – 321 321 54 -29% #2,330

Where Herman 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 56 0.03 outside top 500
2028 56 0.03 outside top 500
2029 55 0.03 outside top 500
2030 55 0.03 outside top 500

Where Herman is most popular

Boys named Herman per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.031 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, Massachusetts, and Missouri.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Herman born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New York 35 0.081 +163%
Massachusetts 5 0.036 +19%
Missouri 5 0.036 +18%
California 31 0.034 +11%
Florida 15 0.032 ≈ national
Texas 20 0.023 -26%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Herman

Herman is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,368 in 2025 with 58 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 136,772 American babies have been named Herman. Its peak came in 1921, when 3,239 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 Herman stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Herman?

The median living Herman is about 67 years old; half are between 53 and 78. An estimated 41 thousand people named Herman are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

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

Herman 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 – – 58 #2,368
2024 – – 50 #2,648
2023 – – 60 #2,330
2022 – – 51 #2,630
2021 – – 46 #2,748
2020 – – 56 #2,375
2019 – – 73 #2,007
2018 – – 64 #2,179
2017 – – 56 #2,329
2016 – – 83 #1,819
2015 – – 91 #1,708
2014 – – 73 #1,968
2013 – – 80 #1,801
2012 – – 65 #2,096
2011 – – 89 #1,680
2010 – – 76 #1,888
2009 – – 94 #1,675
2008 – – 101 #1,575
2007 – – 95 #1,627
2006 – – 102 #1,493
2005 – – 109 #1,377
2004 – – 120 #1,261
2003 – – 117 #1,237
2002 – – 115 #1,207
2001 – – 121 #1,148
2000 – – 129 #1,092
1995 – – 174 #812
1990 – – 252 #636
1985 – – 309 #495
1980 6 #9,497 367 #428
1975 8 #6,729 457 #360
1970 7 #6,585 616 #317
1965 9 #4,618 795 #262
1960 11 #4,005 1,050 #246
1955 7 #4,897 1,360 #194
1950 10 #3,523 1,564 #159
1945 13 #2,518 1,417 #146
1940 13 #2,348 1,670 #113
1935 11 #2,631 1,920 #101
1930 26 #1,549 2,598 #78
1925 29 #1,550 2,890 #69
1920 20 #1,982 3,109 #66
1915 11 #2,605 2,983 #56
1910 6 #2,263 696 #52
1905 5 #2,068 475 #51
1900 – – 550 #49
1895 – – 439 #49
1890 – – 382 #50
1885 – – 326 #55
1880 – – 347 #48

Famous people named Herman

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

  1. 1 Herman Melville Herman Melville American writer (1819–1891) 19th century
  2. 2 Herman Cain Herman Cain American businessman (1945–2020) Contemporary
  3. 3 Herman J. Mankiewicz Herman J. Mankiewicz American screenwriter (1897–1953) 19th century
  4. 4 Herman Wouk Herman Wouk American writer (1915–2019) Contemporary
  5. 5 Herman Kahn Herman Kahn American futurist (1922–1983) Contemporary
  6. 6 Herman Hollerith Herman Hollerith American statistician and inventor 1860–1929 · 19th century
  7. 7 Herman Van Rompuy Herman Van Rompuy Belgian politician (born 1947) Contemporary
  8. 8 Herman Willem Daendels Herman Willem Daendels Dutch military officer and colonial administrator (1762–1818) 18th century
  9. 9 Herman van Veen Herman van Veen Dutch stage performer, actor, author, singer-songwriter, and musician b. 1945 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Herman Boerhaave Herman Boerhaave Dutch botanist and physician (1668–1738) 17th century
  11. 11 Herman Daly Herman Daly American economist (1938–2022) Contemporary
  12. 12 Herman Grimm Herman Grimm German academic and writer (1828–1901) 19th century
  13. 13 Herman Potočnik Herman Potočnik Austrian military officer, electrical engineer and astronautics theorist (1892–1929) 19th century
  14. 14 Herman Gorter Herman Gorter Dutch writer and communist theorist (1864–1927) 19th century
  15. 15 Herman Snellen Herman Snellen Dutch ophthalmologist (1834–1908) 19th century
  16. 16 Herman Bang Herman Bang Danish journalist and author (1857–1912) 19th century
  17. 17 Herman II, Duke of Swabia German noble (died 1003) 1000–1003 · Medieval
  18. 18 Herman Wrangel Herman Wrangel Swedish military officer (1584/1587–1643) 16th century
  19. 19 Herman Gref Herman Gref Russian economist (born 1964) Contemporary
  20. 20 Herman I, Duke of Swabia Duke of Swabia 950–949 · Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Herman?

The median living Herman is about 67 years old. Half of all living Hermans are between 53 and 78 years old.

How many people named Herman are alive today?

An estimated 41 thousand people named Herman are alive in the United States, based on 136,772 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Herman mean?

From Old English here (“army”) + man (“man”) It was revived in the 19th century, partly due to American immigrants from continental Europe where the name has been more popular.

How popular is the name Herman in 2025?

Herman ranked #2,368 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 58 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Herman?

136,772 babies have been named Herman in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Herman most popular?

Herman peaked in 1921, when 3,239 newborns received the name.

Is Herman a boy or girl name?

Herman is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Herman rising or falling?

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

Will Herman become more popular?

Herman looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 55 boys named Herman in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Herman?

Well-known people named Herman include Herman Melville (writer), Herman Cain (businessperson), Herman J. Mankiewicz (writer).

Names like Herman

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

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