Herman
Boy name · #2363 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 58 baby boys were named Herman, placing it at #2363 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1703, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 31,034 boys born in 2025 was named Herman.
The 145-year story
Herman first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 347 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 3,219 boys were named Herman — good for #64 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.
Babies named Herman per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Herman against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Herman in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Herman is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Herman will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Herman is most common
State-level data for Herman is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Herman
Statistically, parents drawn to Herman tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Norman, Freeman, Marion, Weldon, and Hubert.
NormanFreemanMarionWeldonHubertVernonHerbertMilton
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Herman | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 58 | #2363 |
| 2024 | 50 | #2637 |
| 2023 | 60 | #2315 |
| 2022 | 51 | #2616 |
| 2021 | 46 | #2732 |
| 2020 | 56 | #2366 |
| 2019 | 73 | #2001 |
| 2018 | 64 | #2167 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2319 |
| 2016 | 83 | #1811 |
| 2015 | 91 | #1703 |
| 2014 | 73 | #1959 |
| 2013 | 80 | #1794 |
| 2012 | 65 | #2091 |
| 2011 | 89 | #1675 |
| 2010 | 76 | #1881 |
| 2009 | 94 | #1665 |
| 2008 | 101 | #1571 |
| 2007 | 95 | #1621 |
| 2006 | 102 | #1492 |
| 2005 | 109 | #1372 |
| 2004 | 120 | #1251 |
| 2003 | 117 | #1233 |
| 2002 | 115 | #1204 |
| 2001 | 121 | #1143 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Herman a popular boy name?
Herman ranked #2363 among boys in 2025 with 58 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1703.
When was the name Herman most popular?
Herman peaked in 1921, when 3,219 American boys received the name (ranked #64 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Herman?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 31,034 newborn American boys was named Herman. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.