Harry is a popular given name of English origin that has been widely used throughout the world. The name Harry is derived from the Old German personal name "Heriger", which was composed of the elements "heri" meaning "army" and "ric" meaning "power". Thus, the name Harry means "powerful in war" or "war leader".
The use of the name Harry can be traced back to medieval England, where it was brought over by German settlers. It became particularly popular during the Middle Ages, with several kings of England having the name Harry as part of their full names, such as Henry VIII and his son Henry IX, also known as Harry. This further contributed to the popularity and recognition of the name Harry in English-speaking countries.
Over time, the name Harry has been adapted and shortened from various forms of the name Henry, which shares a similar origin and meaning. Some variations of the name include Hari, Harri, and Herry. Today, Harry is still considered a classic and timeless name for boys, with its popularity enduring across generations.
The name Harry experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past century and a half, with peaks and troughs that appear to be influenced by various factors such as cultural trends and historical events.
From 1880 to around 1915, the number of babies named Harry remained relatively stable, fluctuating between roughly 2000 to 3000 births per year. However, during World War I (1914-1918), there was a notable increase in popularity, with over 8000 births recorded in both 1917 and 1918.
After the war, Harry's popularity declined sharply, dropping below 2000 births per year by the early 1930s. This trend continued until World War II (1939-1945), during which time there was another brief spike in popularity, with over 3000 births recorded in both 1944 and 1945.
In the post-war era, Harry's popularity continued to decline, reaching an all-time low of just 262 births in 1973. However, beginning in the late 1970s, the name experienced a gradual resurgence in popularity, eventually peaking once again at over 4000 births per year in both 2016 and 2017.
More recently, Harry's popularity has begun to wane once more, with fewer than 400 births recorded each year since 2018. As of 2023, the name has fallen out of favor again, with only 322 births recorded thus far this year.
Overall, while Harry has remained a relatively popular name throughout history, its popularity has been subject to significant fluctuations over time, with peaks and troughs corresponding to various historical events and cultural trends.