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Harlem

HAHR-ləm
Place-name
"home on a forested dune"
Linda Rosenkrantz
By Linda Rosenkrantz
Updated Mon Jul 14 2025

Harlem Origin and Meaning

The name Harlem is a boy's name meaning "home on a forested dune".

With Brooklyn, Trenton, and Camden on the rise, Harlem is one to watch out for. It has lingered down the lower end of the US Top 1000 since 2018 but has been trending upwards. It's already been picked by one celebrity, and it certainly has a stronger historical and cultural identity -- and it could work as an alternative to Harvey or Harley.

The Harlem Renaissance saw this New York neighborhood become a center of Black American art and culture, where works from Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston were produced and jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington made their mark. Also known for its theaters, soul food, baseball, and R&B, it is an important place within the Civil Rights movement.

Named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, Harlem, as a name, has its origin in Old Dutch. It's meaning can be translated to "home on a forested dune", owing to the original city's location on a sand dune.

Rapper The Game named his son Harlem back in 2003, and the name has been given to an increasing number of babies ever since. A unisex choice that leans slightly more to the masculine side, Harlem was given to 220 boys in 2024, meaning 55% of baby Harlems were boys.

# 911 in the US

Harlem Rank in US Top 1000

# 2464 on Nameberry

Harlem Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Harlem

20 Names Similar to Harlem

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Famous People Named Harlem

  • Harlem Caron Taylor
    son of American rapper "Game"

The name Harlem in Pop Culture

  • Harlem Shake
    viral dance craze

The name Harlem in Nameberry Blog Posts