Herbert is a name of German origin that has been used throughout history. It is derived from the Germanic words "hari" meaning "army" or "warrior," and "berht" meaning "bright" or "famous." Thus, Herbert can be interpreted as "bright warrior" or "famous in battle."
The name Herbert first appeared during the Middle Ages in Germany. It was popular among the nobility and was often given to sons in the hope that they would grow up to be brave and distinguished warriors like their ancestors. Over time, the name spread throughout Europe, becoming particularly common in England.
In English-speaking countries, Herbert gained popularity during the Victorian era in the late 19th century. During this period, many people chose traditional Germanic names for their children, and Herbert was one of the most popular choices. In fact, it was so common that it became somewhat synonymous with the era itself.
Today, Herbert is still used as a given name, but it has become less common than in previous generations. Despite its decline in popularity, however, Herbert remains a timeless and historic name with a strong meaning and an interesting history behind it.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Herbert in the United States from 1880 to 2023, we can observe several trends over time.
From 1880 to around 1928, the number of births with the name Herbert was quite high and relatively stable, fluctuating between approximately 400 to 8,000 births per year. The peak occurred in 1912 with 2,236 births, followed by a steady increase until 1928, when there were 8,065 births.
However, from the late 1920s onwards, there was a significant decline in the popularity of the name Herbert. By the mid-1930s, the number of annual births with this name had dropped below 4,000 and continued to decrease throughout the remainder of the century.
In the 1950s and 1960s, around 2,000 to 3,000 babies were named Herbert each year. This number then decreased further in the 1970s and 1980s, with fewer than 1,000 births per year.
From the 1990s onwards, the popularity of the name Herbert has been quite low, with less than 300 births per year. The most recent data available (2022) shows that there were 66 babies named Herbert in the United States.
In total, from 1880 to 2022, there have been 228,153 births registered with the name Herbert in the United States. While once quite popular, especially during the early to mid-20th century, the name Herbert has become increasingly less common in recent decades.
Despite its decline in popularity, it is still important to note that many individuals have carried and continue to carry the name Herbert with pride. Each of these births represents a unique individual, contributing to the rich tapestry of diversity within American society.