Hurdis
A feminine name of unclear origin, possibly derived from a surname.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Hurdis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hurdis today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hurdis births was 1932 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hurdis. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hurdis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1932
5 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1932 SSA rank
#4,016
Tracked since 1932
Popularity
Hurdis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hurdis 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 Hurdis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hurdis
The name Hurdis has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the 6th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "hurdi," which means "herd" or "flock." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to refer to someone who worked as a shepherd or herdsman.
In the Middle Ages, the name Hurdis appeared in various records across Europe, particularly in regions with Germanic cultural influences. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 11th century.
While the name Hurdis does not seem to have any direct references in major religious texts or ancient scriptures, it is worth noting that names related to pastoral occupations were common during that time, reflecting the agricultural and pastoral ways of life prevalent in many societies.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Hurdis was a landowner and farmer named Hurdis von Helmstedt, who lived in the town of Helmstedt in Lower Saxony, Germany, in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Hurdis of Mainz, a German merchant and trader who lived in the city of Mainz during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, a monk named Hurdis von Halberstadt gained recognition for his scholarly work on religious manuscripts at the Benedictine abbey in Halberstadt, Germany. Centuries later, in the early 18th century, Hurdis Westphalian was a renowned painter and engraver from the Westphalia region of Germany, known for his intricate woodcut illustrations.
Across the English Channel, the name Hurdis also found its way into the historical records of England. One notable figure was Hurdis Nottinghamshire, a landowner and member of the gentry in Nottinghamshire, who lived in the late 16th century. His name can be found in various legal documents and property records from that time period.
While the name Hurdis may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and associations with pastoral life and occupations make it a unique and intriguing name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Hurdis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hurdis 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
Hurdis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hurdis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hurdis 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Hurdis a common name?
We classify Hurdis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hurdis most popular?
The single biggest year for Hurdis was 1932, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hurdis is about 60 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 Hurdis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hurdis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hurdis 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.
Is Hurdis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hurdis 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 Hurdis 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 share the name Hurdis?
Find out how many people share the name Hurdis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.