Total births
228,266
Boys' name · since 1880
Herbert
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 228,266 babies named Herbert, peaking in 1928. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2444
- among boys today
- 228,266
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
Herbert currently ranks #2444 among boys' names in America, with 228,266 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Herbert has been recorded 228,266 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2444 nationally and more common than 83% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2444 among boys today
- 228,266 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 83% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Herbert is currently the #2444 boys' name in America, more common than 83% of boys - 228,266 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2444
- among boys today
- 228,266
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
Herbert vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2444
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 83% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Herbert was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
8,065 babies were named Herbert in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
How Herbert compares
228,266 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Herbert's all-time total is 622x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Herbert | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 228,266 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8,065 | 23 | 22,252 |
Herbert's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Herbert's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 20% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 80%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2025, with only 49 births recorded -- set against the 1928 peak of 8,065, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Herbert at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1928
Current rank
#2,444
Active since
1880
Herbert popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1928)
- 8,065
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Herbert popularity over time - girls
1,117 total births recorded since 1894 (Herbert as girls' name)
Herbert by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Herbert's strongest decade.
56,531 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Herbert births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,257
1880s
4,257 births
- 1890s 5,660
1890s
5,660 births
- 1900s 6,957
1900s
6,957 births
- 1910s
1910s
33,860 births
- 1920s
1920s
56,531 births
- 1930s
1930s
37,821 births
- 1940s
1940s
28,710 births
- 1950s
1950s
24,298 births
- 1960s 13,701
1960s
13,701 births
- 1970s 7,248
1970s
7,248 births
- 1980s 4,463
1980s
4,463 births
- 1990s 2,409
1990s
2,409 births
- 2000s 1,234
2000s
1,234 births
- 2010s 767
2010s
767 births
- 2020s 350
2020s
350 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 56,531 births (25% of all-time use).
How Herbert 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 Herbert's total volume
Herbert vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Herbert by state
Where Herbert concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 23,920 | 10.5% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 12,993 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 10,126 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 9,459 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 9,430 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 7,927 | 3.5% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 7,760 | 3.4% |
| #8 | California | | 7,547 | 3.3% |
New York share of Herbert's total US births 10.5%
Even split
23,920 of 228,266 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Herbert appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Herbert? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 228,266 babies named Herbert. Today it holds rank #2444 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1928, with 8,065 births.
When was Herbert most popular? ▼
Herbert was most popular in the 1920s decade with 56,531 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Herbert most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Herbert are New York (23,920 births), Pennsylvania (12,993 births), Illinois (10,126 births).
How long has the name Herbert been used? ▼
Herbert has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Herbert? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Herman, Herschel, Hershel, Heriberto, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Herbert's data
- Herbert's decade-level peak was the 1920s (56,531 total births); usage has since declined to 350 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Herberts (23,920 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Herbert
Nearby Names Like Herbert
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Herbert
Herman Boy
#2637 135,977 births
Herschel Boy
#4892 10,674 births
Hershel Boy
#2675 10,329 births
Heriberto Boy
#2531 10,266 births
Hernan Boy
#2175 5,230 births
Compare Herbert side by side: Herbert vs Herman Herbert vs Herschel Herbert vs Hershel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Herbert
Chosyn #2443
251 births · Peak 2025
Valentine #2445
6,711 births · Peak 1918
Roran #2442
505 births · Peak 2024
Brice #2446
15,737 births · Peak 1989
Shriyan #2441
517 births · Peak 2024
Robbie #2447
21,386 births · Peak 1963
Eastyn #2440
1,139 births · Peak 2021
Diamond #2448
2,564 births · Peak 1994
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Herbert: #2444 Boys' Name - 228,266 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/herbert. 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 Herbert 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 June 2026.