Harry

Harry meaning

Harry is an international boy's name of English origin (from Germanic).

Medieval English form of Henry, "ruler of the house"

Also used to mean: ruler of the home, army ruler

Harry is the familiar English form of Henry, and in the Middle Ages it was the usual way of saying the name; the Online Etymology Dictionary notes that the many Harris and Harrison surnames show this. Henry goes back to Old High German Heimerich, "ruler of the house", from heim, "home", and rihhi, "ruler". Shakespeare's King Henry V is "Harry" to his soldiers, and today the name is known through Prince Harry and the boy wizard Harry Potter. Some name lists give "army ruler", which belongs to a different Germanic name, Harold. Harry is short and cheerful, and easy to say in Indian languages.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. Harry; Henry · entry Harry · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Harry · Online Etymology Dictionary, Henry

Famous namesakes

• Henry V of England, called Harry

Popularity abroad

• #775 United States, boys 2025 (up 1 from 776 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #19 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Harry · Harrie

Related names

Browse more like this