The Old High German name is recorded from the 8th century, in the variants Haimirich, Haimerich, Heimerich, Hemirih.[4]Harry, its English short form, was considered the "spoken form" of Henry in
medieval England. Most English kings named Henry were called Harry. The name became so popular in
England that the phrase "
Tom, Dick, and Harry" began to be used to refer to men in general. The common English feminine forms of the name are
Harriet and
Henrietta. An Italian variant descended from the Old High German name,
Amerigo, was the source from which the continents of the
Americas were named.
It has been a consistently popular name in English-speaking countries for centuries. It was among the top 100 most popular names used for men born in the
United States,
England and
Wales, and in
Australia in 2007. It was the 46th most common name for boys and men in the
United States in the 1990 census, and has ranked among the ten most popular names for American newborn boys in 2020.[5] Harry, its short form, was the fifth most popular name for boys in
England and
Wales in 2007 and among the top 50 names in
Ireland,
Scotland and
Northern Ireland in recent years. Harry was ranked as the 578th most popular name in the
United States in 2007.[6] It is also in
use as a surname.
Eastern European languages have developed native forms during the
medieval period under the influence of German and the
Scandinavian languages, hence
PolishHenryk,
CzechJindřich, Hynek.
Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian Henrik, Finnish Henrikki (hypocoristic Heikki), and Lithuanian Henrikas or Herkus.
The Old French form Henri / Middle French Henry became productive in the British Isles, in Middle English adopted as Harry, Herry. Herry was adopted into Welsh as Perry, into Irish as Annraoi, Anraí, Einrí and into Scottish Gaelic as Eanraig, Eanruig.
In Southern Europe variants without the initial H- include Italian Arrigo, Enrico, Catalan / Occitan Enric and Spanish Enrique (whence Basque Endika) and Italian Enzo.
A separate variant, which may originate with the Old High German name Haimirich, but possibly conflated with
the names Ermenrich (first element ermen "whole") or Amalric (first element amal "vigour, bravery") is
Emmerich. Emmerich is the origin of a separate suit of variant names used across Western and Central Europe, although these never rose to the ubiquity of the variants of Henry; they include English Emery, Amery, Emory, French Émeric / Aymeric, Hungarian Imre, Imrus, Slovak Imrich, Italian Amerigo and Iberian (Portuguese, Spanish, Galician) Américo, etc. Hendick
Feminine variants
Several variants of Heinrich have given rise to derived feminine given names.[year needed]
Low German Henrik, Hendrik gave rise to Henrike, Hendrike, Hendrikje, Hendrina, Henrika and others, Low German Heiko to Heike, Italian Enrico gave rise to Enrica, Spanish Enrique to Enriqueta, Enriquetta, Enriquette. French Henri gave rise to Henriette, Henrietta, further modified to Enrieta, Enrietta, English Harry to Harriet, Harriett, Harrietta, Harriette, hypocorisms Hattie, Hatty, Hettie, Etta, Ettie; various other hypocorisms include Hena, Henna, Henah, Heni, Henia, Henny, Henya, Henka, Dutch Jet, Jett, Jetta, Jette, Ina. In Polish Henryka, Henia, Heniusia, Henka, Henryczka, Henrysia, Rysia are attested.[citation needed] The hypocorisms Rika, Rike etc. may be from this or other names with the second element -ric. Spanish and Portuguese América from the Emmerich variant Amérigo .
Henry Oldenburg, German theologian, diplomat, natural philosopher, and creator of scientific
peer review, one of the foremost intelligencers of Europe of the seventeenth century
Henry Crerar, senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's "leading field commander" in World War II, where he commanded the First Canadian Army, one of the principal commanders of the
Battle of the Scheldt
Henry Tandey, English soldier, most highly decorated private of World War I who supposedly spared
Adolf Hitler's life during the war, recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions during the First World War
Sir
Henry Wells, a senior officer in the Australian Army, Chief of the General Staff from 1954 to 1958, one of the principal commanders of the
Malayan Emergency
Henry Wirz, Swiss-American officer of the Confederate States Army and a convicted war criminal, the commandant of the stockade of
Camp Sumter concentration camp
^Van Den Reinaerde, Jacob Wijbrand Muller. p. 122 appendix. 'Ermerijc'.
^The contribution of Haimirich, Haimrich is more significant than that of the (rarer) Haginrich, Hainrich:
"In formen wie Hainrich u. s. w. fliessen die beiden namen Haimirich und Gaganrich anz in einander hinüber. Doch ist die erstere die hauptquelle unseres namens Heinrich. Von den beiden alten erklärungen desselben, = Hainreich und = daheim reich, kommt daher die zweite der wahrheit näher als die erste." E. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856),
593, cf.
"Heinrich", nordicnames.de.
^The spelling Heinrich dates to the 11th century, alongside numerous variants (Heimirich, Heimarih, Heimeric, Haimrich, Heimrich, Heimrih, Hemerich, Hemric, Hemrich, Hemmerich, Aimirich, Heinrich Hinrich, Henric, Henrih, Ainrich, Enerich, Enrich etc.). E. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856),
p. 591.
^Campbell, Mike.
"Henry". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
^Campbell, Mike.
"Harry". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.
The Old High German name is recorded from the 8th century, in the variants Haimirich, Haimerich, Heimerich, Hemirih.[4]Harry, its English short form, was considered the "spoken form" of Henry in
medieval England. Most English kings named Henry were called Harry. The name became so popular in
England that the phrase "
Tom, Dick, and Harry" began to be used to refer to men in general. The common English feminine forms of the name are
Harriet and
Henrietta. An Italian variant descended from the Old High German name,
Amerigo, was the source from which the continents of the
Americas were named.
It has been a consistently popular name in English-speaking countries for centuries. It was among the top 100 most popular names used for men born in the
United States,
England and
Wales, and in
Australia in 2007. It was the 46th most common name for boys and men in the
United States in the 1990 census, and has ranked among the ten most popular names for American newborn boys in 2020.[5] Harry, its short form, was the fifth most popular name for boys in
England and
Wales in 2007 and among the top 50 names in
Ireland,
Scotland and
Northern Ireland in recent years. Harry was ranked as the 578th most popular name in the
United States in 2007.[6] It is also in
use as a surname.
Eastern European languages have developed native forms during the
medieval period under the influence of German and the
Scandinavian languages, hence
PolishHenryk,
CzechJindřich, Hynek.
Hungarian, Slovene, Croatian Henrik, Finnish Henrikki (hypocoristic Heikki), and Lithuanian Henrikas or Herkus.
The Old French form Henri / Middle French Henry became productive in the British Isles, in Middle English adopted as Harry, Herry. Herry was adopted into Welsh as Perry, into Irish as Annraoi, Anraí, Einrí and into Scottish Gaelic as Eanraig, Eanruig.
In Southern Europe variants without the initial H- include Italian Arrigo, Enrico, Catalan / Occitan Enric and Spanish Enrique (whence Basque Endika) and Italian Enzo.
A separate variant, which may originate with the Old High German name Haimirich, but possibly conflated with
the names Ermenrich (first element ermen "whole") or Amalric (first element amal "vigour, bravery") is
Emmerich. Emmerich is the origin of a separate suit of variant names used across Western and Central Europe, although these never rose to the ubiquity of the variants of Henry; they include English Emery, Amery, Emory, French Émeric / Aymeric, Hungarian Imre, Imrus, Slovak Imrich, Italian Amerigo and Iberian (Portuguese, Spanish, Galician) Américo, etc. Hendick
Feminine variants
Several variants of Heinrich have given rise to derived feminine given names.[year needed]
Low German Henrik, Hendrik gave rise to Henrike, Hendrike, Hendrikje, Hendrina, Henrika and others, Low German Heiko to Heike, Italian Enrico gave rise to Enrica, Spanish Enrique to Enriqueta, Enriquetta, Enriquette. French Henri gave rise to Henriette, Henrietta, further modified to Enrieta, Enrietta, English Harry to Harriet, Harriett, Harrietta, Harriette, hypocorisms Hattie, Hatty, Hettie, Etta, Ettie; various other hypocorisms include Hena, Henna, Henah, Heni, Henia, Henny, Henya, Henka, Dutch Jet, Jett, Jetta, Jette, Ina. In Polish Henryka, Henia, Heniusia, Henka, Henryczka, Henrysia, Rysia are attested.[citation needed] The hypocorisms Rika, Rike etc. may be from this or other names with the second element -ric. Spanish and Portuguese América from the Emmerich variant Amérigo .
Henry Oldenburg, German theologian, diplomat, natural philosopher, and creator of scientific
peer review, one of the foremost intelligencers of Europe of the seventeenth century
Henry Crerar, senior officer of the Canadian Army who became the country's "leading field commander" in World War II, where he commanded the First Canadian Army, one of the principal commanders of the
Battle of the Scheldt
Henry Tandey, English soldier, most highly decorated private of World War I who supposedly spared
Adolf Hitler's life during the war, recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions during the First World War
Sir
Henry Wells, a senior officer in the Australian Army, Chief of the General Staff from 1954 to 1958, one of the principal commanders of the
Malayan Emergency
Henry Wirz, Swiss-American officer of the Confederate States Army and a convicted war criminal, the commandant of the stockade of
Camp Sumter concentration camp
^Van Den Reinaerde, Jacob Wijbrand Muller. p. 122 appendix. 'Ermerijc'.
^The contribution of Haimirich, Haimrich is more significant than that of the (rarer) Haginrich, Hainrich:
"In formen wie Hainrich u. s. w. fliessen die beiden namen Haimirich und Gaganrich anz in einander hinüber. Doch ist die erstere die hauptquelle unseres namens Heinrich. Von den beiden alten erklärungen desselben, = Hainreich und = daheim reich, kommt daher die zweite der wahrheit näher als die erste." E. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856),
593, cf.
"Heinrich", nordicnames.de.
^The spelling Heinrich dates to the 11th century, alongside numerous variants (Heimirich, Heimarih, Heimeric, Haimrich, Heimrich, Heimrih, Hemerich, Hemric, Hemrich, Hemmerich, Aimirich, Heinrich Hinrich, Henric, Henrih, Ainrich, Enerich, Enrich etc.). E. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1856),
p. 591.
^Campbell, Mike.
"Henry". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
^Campbell, Mike.
"Harry". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.