Harli
A variant of the name Harlene meaning "army, ruler, little rock".
Name Census estimates that about 1,252 living Americans carry the first name Harli. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Harli today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Harli births was 1995 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Harli. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 273,765 Americans
Peak year
1995
55 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,720
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Harli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Harli from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 379 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Harli remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Harli by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Harli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Harlis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Harli, while Louisiana, Ohio, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Harli
The name Harli is a diminutive form of the English name Harry, which is derived from the Old French name Henri. Henri stems from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning "home ruler." The name was popularized in the 12th century due to its use by several members of the royal family in England and France.
Harli can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it emerged as a nickname or pet form of Harry. It was commonly used as a diminutive for children or young boys named Harry. The earliest recorded use of Harli as a given name dates back to the 16th century in England.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Harli was Harli of Northumbria, a nobleman who lived in the 7th century. He was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Northumbria and played a role in the establishment of Christianity in the region.
In the 18th century, Harli Pennington (1701-1784) was a British politician and member of Parliament who served as the Mayor of Liverpool. He was known for his efforts in improving the city's infrastructure and promoting trade.
Another notable figure with the name Harli was Harli White (1876-1958), an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball from 1901 to 1918. He was a pitcher and played for several teams, including the Boston Americans and the Philadelphia Athletics.
Harli Parkinson (1904-1981) was a British artist known for her landscapes and portraiture. She was a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and had her works exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.
In the literary world, Harli Shuhart (1927-2003) was an American author best known for her children's books. Her works, such as "The Dragonet Prophecy" and "The Lost City of Zill," were popular and received critical acclaim.
While the name Harli has roots in the English language, it has gained popularity in various cultures and regions around the world, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its historical origins can be traced back to the Old French and Germanic names, making it a name with a rich and diverse heritage.
People
Harli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Harli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Harli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Harli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,252 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Harli going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 273,765 US residents.
Is Harli a common name?
We classify Harli as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,273 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Harli most popular?
The single biggest year for Harli was 1995, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Harli is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Harli a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Harli in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.