NameRealm
Herbert

Herbert: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“bright army”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
HER-bert · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

From Germanic Heribert, formed from hari 'army' and beraht 'bright.' It was introduced to England by the Normans.

English namesGerman namesNames meaning lightNames meaning warriorClassic namesVintage names

How popular is Herbert?

202416.5 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Herbert in 202455

2024 rank#2,469 boys

Peak year1929

Total US babies since 1880229,328

Herbert is steady now but far below its 1929 peak.

Names like Herbert

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Heribertobright army · Spanish
  • Williamresolute protector · Germanic
  • Henryhome ruler · Germanic
  • Charlesfree man · Germanic
  • Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
  • Robertbright fame · Germanic
  • Milogracious; dear · Germanic
  • Luisfamous warrior · Germanic

Herbert questions

What does the name Herbert mean?

Herbert means "bright army". It comes from Germanic. From Germanic Heribert, formed from hari 'army' and beraht 'bright.' It was introduced to England by the Normans.

Is Herbert a boy or girl name?

Herbert is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Herbert?

55 US babies were named Herbert in 2024. Its peak year was 1929.

How do you pronounce Herbert?

Herbert is usually pronounced HER-bert.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.