Herbert
Herbert is a Germanic given name, from harja- "army", "warrior" or "noble, sublime", and beraht "bright" or "shining". Other given names with the same roots include Heribert, Aribert and Eriberto.
- English
- German
- Dutch
- Czech
Meaning & Origin of Herbert
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Herbert is a Germanic given name, from harja- "army", "warrior" or "noble, sublime", and beraht "bright" or "shining". Other given names with the same roots include Heribert, Aribert and Eriberto.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- German
- Dutch
- Czech
- Swedish
- French
The Story of Herbert
Herbert first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 424 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1928, when 8,065 Herberts were born — ranking #25 that year. As of 2026, Herbert ranks #2,373 for baby boys with 60 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 228K Herberts have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Herbert
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Herbert. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Herbert
Phonetically similar names — useful when Herbert 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 Herbert
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About the name Herbert
Herbert is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 228K births in the dataset. Herbert's peak popularity came in 1928 when it ranked #25. Use the chart and map above to compare Herbert's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1928 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- 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.