Herbert first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Herbert has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Herbert

A Germanic name meaning "bright army" or "illustrious warrior".

Popularity of Herbert by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Herbert is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Herbert being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 66 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Herbert.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 66 0
2022 63 0
2021 53 0
2020 59 0
2019 54 0
2018 71 0
2017 77 0
2016 80 0
2015 79 0
2014 75 0
2013 79 0
2012 72 0
2011 80 0
2010 99 0
2009 94 0
2008 110 0
2007 104 0
2006 113 0
2005 118 0
2004 109 0
2003 120 0
2002 161 0
2001 148 0
2000 157 0
1999 151 0
1998 193 0
1997 195 0
1996 204 0
1995 217 0
1994 235 0
1993 273 0
1992 307 0
1991 285 0
1990 348 0
1989 350 0
1988 400 0
1987 350 5
1986 382 5
1985 430 0
1984 436 0
1983 481 0
1982 517 5
1981 551 5
1980 568 5
1979 618 6
1978 567 5
1977 587 7
1976 632 0
1975 672 0
1974 676 7

The history of the first name Herbert

The name Herbert is derived from the Germanic elements "heri" meaning army and "beraht" meaning bright. It was originally a compound name meaning "bright army" or "illustrious warrior." The name first arose among the Franks and other Germanic tribes during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded example of the name dates back to the 8th century. A Frankish count named Herbert was mentioned in the Royal Frankish Annals in 770 AD. The name grew more popular after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, as it was brought over by Norman nobles who had adopted the name in France.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Herbert of Vermandois (1057-1115), a French crusader who participated in the First Crusade and became Count of Vermandois. Another notable Herbert was Herbert of Bosham (c.1163-1194), an English scholar and biographer of Thomas Becket.

In the 13th century, Herbert de Burgh (c.1180-1243) was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor and Justiciar of England under King John and Henry III. A century later, Herbert Kyriander (c.1370-1439) was a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion.

During the Renaissance, one of the most influential figures named Herbert was Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648), an English philosopher, historian, and diplomat. He is considered a founder of the English deist movement and wrote several influential works on religion and philosophy.

Over the centuries, the name Herbert has been borne by many other noteworthy individuals, including the English philosopher and mathematician Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), the American poet and critic Herbert Read (1893-1968), and the British novelist and playwright Herbert Ernest Bates (1905-1974).

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Herbert was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Herbert, please contact us.

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"Herbert first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/herbert-meaning-and-history/.

"Herbert first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/herbert-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Herbert first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/herbert-meaning-and-history/.

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