Herberta
From the Germanic elements "heri" meaning army and "berht" meaning bright.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Herberta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Herberta today is around 89 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Herberta births was 1919 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Herberta. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Herberta is about 89 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Herbertas were born before 1947.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Herberta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1919
11 babies that year
Average age
89
years old
1946 SSA rank
#4,160
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Herberta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Herberta from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 37 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Herberta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Herberta 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 Herberta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Herberta
The name Herberta is derived from the Germanic name Herbert, which means "bright army" or "illustrious warrior." The name has its roots in the Old German words "heri" meaning army, and "beraht" meaning bright or illustrious. The feminine form, Herberta, emerged in the Middle Ages as a variant of the masculine name.
Herberta was a popular name among the nobility and aristocracy during the medieval period in various regions of Europe, particularly in Germany, France, and England. It was often used to honor saints or prominent figures associated with the name.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Herberta can be found in the Chronicon Polonorum, a medieval chronicle written in the 12th century. It mentions a woman named Herberta who was the wife of a Polish nobleman.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Herberta. In the 12th century, Herberta of Bingen (c. 1098-1179) was a German Benedictine abbess and writer known for her literary works and her contributions to the development of Gregorian chant.
In the 14th century, Herberta of Silesia (c. 1300-1356) was a Polish nun and mystic who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. She is known for her visions and prophecies, as well as her ascetic lifestyle.
During the Renaissance period, Herberta Heredia (c. 1490-1554) was a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts. She commissioned numerous works of art and supported artists, writers, and musicians.
In the 18th century, Herberta von Auersperg (1715-1788) was an Austrian countess and philanthropist who established several charitable institutions and worked to improve the lives of the poor and underprivileged.
Another notable figure was Herberta Hunkins (1836-1924), an American educator and suffragist who fought for women's rights and played a crucial role in establishing educational opportunities for women in the United States.
While the name Herberta has declined in popularity in recent times, it remains a part of historical records and has left an indelible mark on various cultures and societies throughout the centuries.
People
Herberta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Herberta 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
Herberta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Herberta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Herberta 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Herberta a common name?
We classify Herberta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 106 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Herberta most popular?
The single biggest year for Herberta was 1919, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Herberta is about 89 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Herberta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Herberta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Herberta 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.
Is Herberta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Herberta in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Herberta can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Herberta as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Herberta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.