Harbin is of German origin, derived from the personal name Herbert. It means "bright" or "famous". The name was popularized by Harbin, a city in China known for its annual ice festival and architecture influenced by Western design. It has also been used as a surname in various cultures, often due to immigration patterns.
The name Harbin has seen a resurgence with five births each in the last two years (2019 and 2020), following a long period of no recorded births between 1915 and 2014, when there were also six births. In total, there have been twenty-two children named Harbin born over this span of nearly one hundred years.