Humphrey
German
"peaceful warrior"Humphrey Origin and Meaning
The name Humphrey is a boy's name of German origin meaning "peaceful warrior".
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond Bogart here, especially with the recent interest in the names of Golden Age Hollywood stars. His first name was the maiden name of his mother, Maud Humphrey, a well-known illustrator who used baby H. as a model.
Humphrey was brought to England by the Normans and was made famous by Duke Humphrey, the fifteenth century Duke of Gloucester and youngest son of Henry IV, a noted patron of literature, who appears in Shakespeare's Henry IV. In other literature, Humphrey Wasp is a character in Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, and the eponymous hero of Tobias Smollett's early novel Humphrey Clinker. In James Joyce's Finnegans Wake Humphrey Climpden Earwicker represents the everyman.
Bottom line: An interesting name with a noirish edge.
Humphrey was brought to England by the Normans and was made famous by Duke Humphrey, the fifteenth century Duke of Gloucester and youngest son of Henry IV, a noted patron of literature, who appears in Shakespeare's Henry IV. In other literature, Humphrey Wasp is a character in Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, and the eponymous hero of Tobias Smollett's early novel Humphrey Clinker. In James Joyce's Finnegans Wake Humphrey Climpden Earwicker represents the everyman.
Bottom line: An interesting name with a noirish edge.
Humphrey Popularity
- 778Nameberry2021
Want to keep track of your favorite names?
Create an account and you can create lists, keep track of favorites, and even be alerted when there is new content posted about a name.
20 Names Similar to Humphrey
These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Humphrey.
- Montgomery
- Bartholomew
- Archibald
- Barnabas
- Barnaby
- Woodrow
- Rupert
- Harold
- Oswald
- Chester
- Leopold
- Rufus
- Wilbur
- Godfrey
- Gertrude
- Penn
- Calloway
- Horatio
- Gulliver
- Griffith
Want to keep track of your favorite names?
Create an account and you can create lists, keep track of favorites, and even be alerted when there is new content posted about a name.
Lists containing Humphrey
- Great Names for Big Dogs
- Unique Baby Names: Unusual and Rare
- Fancy, Elegant, Sophisticated Baby Names
- Posh Baby Names
- Geek Chic Names for Boys
- Royal Names for Boys
- Names That Mean Peace
- Best Old Man Names
- Best British Boy Names
- Bold Bohemian Names for Boys
- Unusual Antique Baby Names
- Fancy Boy Names
- Shakespeare Baby Names
- Cool Classic Boy Names — 100+ below the Top 1000
- Cool Boy Names—Rare, Unique and Unusual
- Best Unique Baby Names
- German Shepherd Names
- New York Baby Names
- Victorian Boy Names
- Names That Mean Warrior, Soldier, or Knight
- Delicious Thanksgiving Names
- June Baby Names
- December Baby Names
- Magic Names
Famous People Named Humphrey
- Humphrey DeForest BogartAmerican actor
- (David) Humphrey Rivers KerEnglish actor and comedian
- Humphrey GilbertEnglish explorer and MP; half,brother of Sir Walter Raleigh
- Humphrey LytteltonEnglish jazz musician and composer
- Humphrey of Lancaster1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Pembroke, youngest son of King Henry IV of England
- Humphrey BateAmerican harmonica player and bandleader
- Humphrey SearleEnglish composer
- Humphrey OceanEnglish painter
- Humphrey Edward Gregory AtkinsBaron Colnbrook, English MP and cabinet minister
- Humphrey WellsAmerican politician; 11th governor of Georgia for 2 days
Humphrey in Pop Culture
- Humphrey Reptonlandscape gardener in Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park"
- Humphrey Applebycharacter on British TV series "Yes, Minister"
- Humphrey CadwalladerRector in the 1871 novel “Middlemarch” by George Elliot
- Humphrey the BearWalt Disney cartoon character
- Humphreyhamster in the "According to Humphrey" series by Betty Birney
- Daniel Humphreycharacter in the Gossip Girl series
- DI Humphrey Goodmandetective inspector on British/French TV series "Death In Paradise"