Boy · #2,545 in 2026

Herman

Name: Popularity of the name Herman in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Herman, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Herman is a masculine given name, from an ancient Germanic name consisting of the elements harja- "army" and mann- "man". Hermine is the feminine form of Herman. It is first recorded in the 8th century, in the forms Hariman, Heriman, Hairman, Herman.

Current Rank

#2,545

Peak Rank

#44 (1921)

Total Babies

136K

5-Yr Trend

-9%

1891

First Year

1980

Last Year

1925

Peak Year

#1535

Peak Rank

795

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Herman

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Herman

Herman first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 347 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 3,219 Hermans were born — ranking #64 that year. As of 2026, Herman ranks #2,545 for baby boys with 53 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 136K Hermans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Herman

Phonetically similar names — useful when Herman 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 Herman

What does the name Herman mean?

How popular is Herman in 2026?

In 2026, Herman ranks #2,545 among boys' names in the U.S., with 53 babies given the name that year.

When was Herman most popular?

Herman reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #44 that year with 3,219 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Herman most popular?

Herman has historically been most popular in Alaska, Nevada, Louisiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Herman.

Is Herman a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Herman is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Herman?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Herman include Martin, Floyd, Calvin. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Herman

Herman is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 136K births in the dataset. Herman's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #44. Use the chart and map above to compare Herman's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.