Heber
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "comrade" or "friend".
Name Census estimates that about 1,974 living Americans carry the first name Heber. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Heber today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Heber births was 2005 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Heber. 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
2.0K
~ 1 in 173,634 Americans
Peak year
2005
81 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,472
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Heber: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Heber from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 585 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Heber 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 Heber during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hebers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. Utah, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Heber, while West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 67 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Heber
The name Heber is derived from the Hebrew name Eber, which means "the other side" or "across." It is believed to have originated from the biblical figure Eber, who was a descendant of Noah and is mentioned in the Book of Genesis.
The name Heber is found in several ancient texts and religious scriptures. In the Bible, Eber is described as the ancestor of the Hebrew people, and the name "Hebrew" is thought to be derived from his name. Additionally, the Book of Mormon mentions a person named Eber who was a leader among the Jaredites, an ancient people who journeyed to the Americas.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Heber can be found in ancient Assyrian texts from around the 8th century BCE. These texts mention a place called Habiru, which is believed to be related to the name Heber.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Heber. One of the earliest was Heber the Kenite, who was mentioned in the Book of Judges as an ally of the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan around the 13th century BCE.
In the Middle Ages, Heber was the name of a Welsh prince who lived in the 7th century CE. He is considered a saint in the Welsh tradition and is remembered for his efforts in spreading Christianity throughout Wales.
Another notable Heber was Heber C. Kimball (1801-1868), who was a leader in the Latter-day Saint movement and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the settlement of the Salt Lake Valley.
In the world of literature, Heber Doust Curtis (1860-1942) was a Canadian poet and author who is best known for his poetry collections, including "The Clerk's Fancy" and "The Voice of the Garden."
Lastly, Heber Jentzsch (1935-2012) was a prominent member of the Church of Scientology and served as the president of the Church of Scientology International from 1982 until his death.
People
Heber + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Heber 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
Heber: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Heber?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,974 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Heber 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 173,634 US residents.
Is Heber a common name?
We classify Heber as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,131 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Heber most popular?
The single biggest year for Heber was 2005, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Heber is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Heber a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Heber 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.