English Names that Start With H
- Harris
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Harry"Description:
When Harrison is too much, but Harry isn't enough, try this stylish surname name with a touch of British flair. It briefly reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1988 in 2016, but has since dropped just below the radar again.
- Huxley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"inhospitable place"Description:
Huxley is definitely rising as a surname name, with its X that makes almost any name cooler. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015. The modern nicknames Hux and Huck certainly don't hurt.
- Henrietta
Origin:
Feminine variation of Henry, GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm.
- Haven
Origin:
Word name, EnglishMeaning:
"a place of safety"Description:
Haven is a recently invented safe-harbor name that appeals to an increasing number of parents who don't want to voyage quite as far as Heaven.
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hare clearing"Description:
You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.
- Hollis
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller at the holly trees"Description:
Hollis is a surname-name used quietly for both genders. At last count, it was given to over 200 baby boys and 160 baby girls in the US. Now a Top 1000 name for boys, it could well break into the charts for girls too in the coming years.
- Hart
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"stag"Description:
Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but it also has musical cred via Lorenz Hart, of the classic Rodgers & Hart songwriting duo and a literary tie to playwright Moss Hart.
- Hero
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"demi-god"Description:
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
- Hope
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be corrupted, a lovely classic that deserves all the attention it's getting.
- Hayley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hay field"Description:
It all started in 1946, when Hayley Mills was given her mother's maiden name. Now that spelling is in third place, after Hailey and Haley, with all three adding up to one of the most popular names in the country. Hayley is the most used spelling in Australia.
- Huckleberry
Origin:
Word name and literary nameDescription:
Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls, who, like many parents, will call the boy the much more manageable Huck. It was also the name of a child on TV's West Wing,
- Hunter
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"one who hunts"Description:
This surname gained momentum in the 1990s, when it was particularly in vogue for males. However, it seems to be experiencing a surge for females—it was one of the fastest-rising names of 2013, jumping 266 spots back into the Top 1000.
- Hudson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"Hugh's son"Description:
Climbing the charts for boys, and has just begun to cross over for girls, despite the macho "hud" sound followed by the "son" syllable.
- Hawthorne
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"lives where hawthorn hedges grow"Description:
The great American novelist sets this above many other surnames (and nature names, for that matter), but it's still an imposing and adventurous choice. Do nicknames Hawk or Thorne make it more approachable? How about Hank or Hal instead?
- Harley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the long field"Description:
Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.
- Haley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hay field"Description:
The second most popular spelling of this name is also the most straightforward.
- Hayden
Origin:
English place nameMeaning:
"hay hill; hay valley"Description:
A newly successful name for girls, which, like Brayden and Caden, used to be strictly for the boys. Young Heroes and now Nashville star Hayden Panettiere planted it in the girls' camp.
- Hadleigh
Origin:
Spelling variation of Hadley, EnglishMeaning:
"heathery field"Description:
Hadley, an old surname-name best known as the name of author Ernest Hemingway's "Paris Wife," only recently broke onto the scene in a big way. While Hadley has considerable appeal, spelling variations such as Hadleigh—and onward to Hadleah, Hadleah, Hadli and so on—only emphasize its trendiness. Hadleigh made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 in 2014.
- Hadley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"heathery field"Description:
Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.
- Hoyt
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"long stick"Description:
Distinctive though somewhat abrupt, most prominently borne by country singer Hoyt Axton.
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