Herb
Herb is a given name, usually a diminutive of Herbert.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Herb
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Herb is a given name, usually a diminutive of Herbert.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Herb
American parents first put Herb on the record books as a baby boy name in 1884, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 70 Herbs were born — ranking #831 that year. About 26% of every Herb on record arrived during the 1940s, its defining decade. Herb last appeared in the published SSA data in 1993, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Herb
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Herb. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Herb
Phonetically similar names — useful when Herb is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Erb
- Urb
- Herbe
- Irb
- Erbe
- Wrb
- Urbe
- Erp
- Urp
- Earp
- Irp
- Wrp
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Herb
What does the name Herb mean?
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How popular is Herb in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Herb most popular?
Is Herb a unisex name?
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What are nicknames or variants of Herb?
About the name Herb
Herb is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Herb's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #831. Use the chart and map above to compare Herb's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- 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.