Harvard
Harvard is an English surname/family name/last name and given name/first name, derived a Middle English variant of Hereward; here (“army”) + weard (“guard”).
Meaning & Origin of Harvard
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Harvard is an English surname/family name/last name and given name/first name, derived a Middle English variant of Hereward; here (“army”) + weard (“guard”).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Harvard
Harvard first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1912, with 16 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1915, when 27 Harvards were born — ranking #1,265 that year. As of 2026, Harvard ranks #9,668 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 604 Harvards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Harvard
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Harvard Sitkoff (born 1945), American historian
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Harvard
Phonetically similar names — useful when Harvard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Harvard
What does the name Harvard mean?
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When was Harvard most popular?
In which U.S. states is Harvard most popular?
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About the name Harvard
Harvard is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 604 births in the dataset. Harvard's peak popularity came in 1915 when it ranked #1,265. Use the chart and map above to compare Harvard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1915 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.