Total births
2,007
Boys' name · since 1884
Herb
Since 1884, U.S. Social Security records show 2,007 babies named Herb, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 2,007
- total births
- 1884–1993
- years on record
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 26%
- born in that decade
Herb is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 2,007 have been recorded since 1884.
Herb has 2,007 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 1993.
- 2,007 total births
- 1884–1993 years on record
- 1940s peak decade
- 26% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
2,007 boys have been named Herb since 1884, peaking in the 1940s, last recorded in 1993.
- 2,007
- total births
- 1884–1993
- years on record
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 26%
- born in that decade
1940s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Herb was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
70 babies were named Herb in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
Herb's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Herb's SSA record in two at 1948 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1895, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 70, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Herb at a glance
Last recorded 1993Peak year
1947
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1884
Herb popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–1993
- Peak year (1947)
- 70
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Herb by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Herb's strongest decade.
531 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Herb births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7
1880s
7 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s 65
1910s
65 births
- 1920s 149
1920s
149 births
- 1930s
1930s
394 births
- 1940s
1940s
531 births
- 1950s
1950s
320 births
- 1960s
1960s
377 births
- 1970s 84
1970s
84 births
- 1980s 46
1980s
46 births
- 1990s 17
1990s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 531 births (26% of all-time use).
How Herb compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Herb's total volume
Herb vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Herb by state
Where Herb concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 168 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 54 | 2.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 51 | 2.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 36 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 30 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Washington | | 27 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 17 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 12 | 0.6% |
California share of Herb's total US births 8.4%
Even split
168 of 2,007 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Herb appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Herb? ▼
Since 1884, Social Security records show 2,007 babies named Herb. The most recent recorded year was 1993. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 70 births.
When was Herb most popular? ▼
Herb was most popular in the 1940s decade with 531 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Herb most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Herb are California (168 births), Ohio (54 births), Illinois (51 births).
How long has the name Herb been used? ▼
Herb has been recorded in Social Security data since 1884, spanning 110 years of data through 1993.
What names are similar to Herb? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Herbert, Herman, Herschel, Hershel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Herb's data
- Herb's decade-level peak was the 1940s (531 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Herbs (168 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Herb
Nearby Names Like Herb
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Herb
Herbert Boy
#2444 228,266 births
Herman Boy
#2637 135,977 births
Herschel Boy
#4892 10,674 births
Hershel Boy
#2675 10,329 births
Heriberto Boy
#2531 10,266 births
Compare Herb side by side: Herb vs Herbert Herb vs Herman Herb vs Herschel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1884–1993 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Herb: Baby Name Since 1884 - 2,007 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/herb. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Herb draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.