Hart
A male name of German origin meaning "stag" or "deer".
Name Census estimates that about 973 living Americans carry the first name Hart. It is a predominantly male name (93.6% of registrations). The average person named Hart today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hart births was 2022 (62 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hart. 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
973
~ 1 in 352,266 Americans
Peak year
2022
62 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,957
Tracked since 1888
Gender
Gender distribution for Hart
Hart leans heavily male at 93.6% of total registrations, but 79 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Hart as a male name
- Ranked #2,957 in 2024
- 42 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (51 births)
Hart as a female name
- Ranked #12,596 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (11 births)
Popularity
Hart: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hart from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 254 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hart 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 Hart during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Harts live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Hart, while Virginia, Florida, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hart
The name Hart has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "heorot," which means "stag" or "deer." This connection to the animal world likely stems from the Anglo-Saxon culture's reverence for nature and hunting.
The earliest recorded use of Hart as a given name dates back to the 11th century in England. It was particularly popular among the nobility and upper classes, who often drew inspiration from the natural world when naming their children.
In the Middle Ages, the name Hart gained symbolic significance, representing qualities such as strength, swiftness, and grace – attributes associated with the noble stag. It was also seen as a symbol of fertility and virility, further solidifying its appeal among the aristocracy.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Hart was Hart Craphart, a renowned English poet and playwright who lived from 1540 to 1609. His works, which often explored themes of love and nature, contributed significantly to the Renaissance literary canon.
Another prominent figure was Hart Benton, an American painter and muralist born in 1889. His iconic depictions of rural life and the American Midwest earned him a place among the most influential artists of the 20th century.
In the realm of sports, Hart Lee Byerly, born in 1912, was a celebrated American football player who excelled as a halfback for the University of Southern California. His exceptional athleticism and leadership on the field earned him numerous accolades and a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.
The name Hart also found its way into the world of politics, as exemplified by Hart Brown, an American senator from New Mexico who served from 1933 to 1949. His advocacy for conservation and environmental protection left a lasting impact on the state's natural resources.
Lastly, Hart Crane, born in 1899, was a celebrated American poet whose works, such as "The Bridge," explored themes of modernity, industrialization, and the human condition. His innovative use of language and poetic form solidified his place as a pioneering figure in 20th-century literature.
These notable individuals, spanning various eras and fields, have contributed to the rich history and enduring appeal of the name Hart, imbuing it with associations of strength, grace, and a deep connection to the natural world.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Hart
People
Hart + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hart 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
Hart: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hart?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 973 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hart 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 352,266 US residents.
Is Hart a common name?
We classify Hart as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,232 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hart most popular?
The single biggest year for Hart was 2022, when 62 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hart is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hart a male name?
Yes, 93.6% of people registered as Hart in the SSA data are male. 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.