Herbert
Boy name · #2641 in 2025 · Uniqueness 80/100
Herbert ranks #2641 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 49 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1853, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 36,735 boys born in 2025 was named Herbert.
Babies named Herbert per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Herbert first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 424 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1928, when 8,065 boys were named Herbert — good for #25 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Herbert against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Herbert in class?
Herbert scores 80 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Herbert will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Herbert is most common
State-level data for Herbert is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Herbert
Statistically, parents drawn to Herbert tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hubert, Gilbert, Rupert, Earnest, and Herman.
HubertGilbertRupertEarnestHermanJohnnieBennieRudolph
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Herbert | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 49 | #2641 |
| 2024 | 56 | #2444 |
| 2023 | 68 | #2129 |
| 2022 | 65 | #2217 |
| 2021 | 53 | #2499 |
| 2020 | 59 | #2292 |
| 2019 | 54 | #2464 |
| 2018 | 71 | #2029 |
| 2017 | 77 | #1883 |
| 2016 | 80 | #1863 |
| 2015 | 79 | #1853 |
| 2014 | 75 | #1920 |
| 2013 | 79 | #1811 |
| 2012 | 72 | #1959 |
| 2011 | 81 | #1780 |
| 2010 | 99 | #1588 |
| 2009 | 94 | #1665 |
| 2008 | 110 | #1482 |
| 2007 | 104 | #1516 |
| 2006 | 113 | #1402 |
| 2005 | 118 | #1296 |
| 2004 | 109 | #1343 |
| 2003 | 120 | #1220 |
| 2002 | 161 | #976 |
| 2001 | 148 | #1010 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Herbert a popular boy name?
Herbert ranked #2641 among boys in 2025 with 49 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1853.
When was the name Herbert most popular?
Herbert peaked in 1928, when 8,065 American boys received the name (ranked #25 that year). Since 1928 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Herbert?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 36,735 newborn American boys was named Herbert. It scores 80/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.