Total births
135,977
Boys' name · since 1880
Herman
Herman has 135,977 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2637
- among boys today
- 135,977
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
135,977 babies have been named Herman since 1880, making it today's #2637 boys' name.
Herman has 135,977 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2637 as of the latest data, more common than 82% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2637 among boys today
- 135,977 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Herman is currently the #2637 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 135,977 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2637
- among boys today
- 135,977
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Herman vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2637
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Herman was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
3,219 babies were named Herman in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Herman compares
135,977 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Herman's all-time total is 371x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Herman | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 135,977 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,219 | 23 | 22,252 |
Herman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Herman's full recorded timeline at 1953, 22% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 78% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2021, with just 46 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 3,219 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Herman at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#2,637
Active since
1880
Herman popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 3,219
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Herman popularity over time - girls
795 total births recorded since 1891 (Herman as girls' name)
Herman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Herman's strongest decade.
29,011 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Herman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,689
1880s
3,689 births
- 1890s 4,232
1890s
4,232 births
- 1900s 5,064
1900s
5,064 births
- 1910s
1910s
22,598 births
- 1920s
1920s
29,011 births
- 1930s
1930s
20,319 births
- 1940s
1940s
16,856 births
- 1950s
1950s
13,832 births
- 1960s 8,360
1960s
8,360 births
- 1970s 4,761
1970s
4,761 births
- 1980s 3,124
1980s
3,124 births
- 1990s 1,957
1990s
1,957 births
- 2000s 1,103
2000s
1,103 births
- 2010s 750
2010s
750 births
- 2020s 321
2020s
321 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 29,011 births (21% of all-time use).
How Herman 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 Herman's total volume
Herman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Herman by state
Where Herman concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 9,161 | 6.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 8,809 | 6.5% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 6,179 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6,118 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 6,030 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 5,780 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 5,202 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 4,967 | 3.7% |
New York share of Herman's total US births 6.7%
Even split
9,161 of 135,977 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Herman appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Herman? ▼
135,977 babies have been named Herman since 1880. It currently ranks #2637 among boys. The peak year was 1921 with 3,219 births.
When was Herman most popular? ▼
Herman was most popular in the 1920s decade with 29,011 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Herman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Herman are New York (9,161 births), Texas (8,809 births), North Carolina (6,179 births).
How long has the name Herman been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Herman since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Herman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Herbert, Herschel, Hershel, Heriberto, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Herman's data
- Herman's decade-level peak was the 1920s (29,011 total births); usage has since declined to 321 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Hermans (9,161 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 Herman
Nearby Names Like Herman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Herman
Herbert Boy
#2444 228,266 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 Herman side by side: Herman vs Herbert Herman vs Herschel Herman vs Hershel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Herman
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. "Herman: #2637 Boys' Name - 135,977 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/herman. 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 Herman 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.