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Herman as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Herman

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The baby name Herman is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced HER-mən (US: /ˈhɝmən/; UK: /ˈhɜːmən/).

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Pronunciation: HER-mən (US: /ˈhɝmən/; UK: /ˈhɜːmən/)

What is the meaning of the name Herman ?

The baby name Herman is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced HER-mən (US: /ˈhɝmən/; UK: /ˈhɜːmən/).

Herman is in Origin.

Herman is the English, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of German Hermann, from Old High German elements heri/harja (army) and man (man), giving the meaning army man or warrior. Early records show spellings such as Heriman and Hariman. Related forms and variants include Hermann (German), Harm and Harmen (Frisian/Dutch), Hermanni (Finnish), German (Russian: Герман), and the Latinized Hermannus; diminutives include Herm and Hermie. The feminine counterpart is Hermine.

The name appears across medieval German-speaking Europe and was carried to England with the Normans, for example Bishop Herman of Ramsbury in the 11th century. It remained common in German and Dutch contexts, enjoyed a 19th-century boost through romantic references to Hermann (Arminius) in German nationalism, and spread widely among German-American families. In the United States it ranked high around 1900 before declining after the 1930s; in Scandinavia and the Netherlands it experiences periodic revivals as a sturdy classic.

Herman has the following similar or variant Names

Herman in Other Languages

Language Equivalent Name
German Hermann
Dutch Herman
Swedish/Norwegian/Danish Herman
Russian German (Герман)
Latin Hermanus
Polish Herman

Famous people with the name Herman

Herman Van Rompuy Politician · Born 1947 · Belgium Herman Van Rompuy is a Belgian politician best known for serving as the first full-time President of the European Council from 2009 to 2014. Before that, he was the Prime Minister of Belgium. His leadership during the European financial crisis was a significant part of his political career. Herman Cain Politician · Born 1945 · United States Herman Cain was an American politician and businessman best known for his 2012 presidential campaign as a Republican candidate. He also served as the CEO of Godfather's Pizza and was a chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Cain became a prominent figure in the Tea Party movement. Herman van Veen Actor|musician · Born 1945 · Kingdom of the Netherlands Herman van Veen is a Dutch actor and musician, best known for creating the character Alfred Jodocus Kwak. He has also gained fame for his musical performances, including songs like 'Hilversum 3' and 'Opzij'. Born in 1945 in the Netherlands, he has enjoyed a successful career in both music and theater.
Hermanafrid Royal · Born 450 Hermanfrid was most famous for being the last independent king of the Thuringii in what is now Germany. Also known as Hermanifrid or Hermanafrid, he died in 532 and was one of three sons of King Bisinus and his Lombard queen, Menia. Herman I, Count of Winzenburg Royal · Born 1083 · Holy Roman Empire Herman I, Count of Winzenburg was a medieval German noble best known as Count of Winzenburg. Also called Herman of Windberg, he lived around 1083 to 1137 or 1138 and was also count of Formbach and Radelberg.

Herman – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
BF 0 #10 1 188
ID Boys 0 #13 188 4,130
Norway Boys 2025 #19 241 444
NA 0 #24 10 2,537
ID 0 #26 14 2,238
BN 0 #30 3 2,297
MT 0 #41 3 1,767
BI Boys 0 #44 1 917
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
CM 0 #52 5 2,592
NA Boys 0 #55 259 6,830
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
AO 0 #76 2 2,729
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
NL Boys 0 #82 6,510 5,873
CN 0 #83 4 3,857
BN Boys 0 #85 49 6,332
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
TW 0 #96 8 4,523
ID Girls 0 #100 3 3,319
QA 0 #105 2 7,011
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
EE Boys 0 #117 9 2,087
EC 0 #118 4 2,502
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
Sweden Boys 2022 #124 59 1,509
CY Boys 0 #130 2 3,473
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
PA 0 #136 3 3,797
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BW Boys 0 #150 5 4,685
CM Boys 0 #151 892 12,054
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
ZA 0 #153 331 14,421
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
NL 0 #159 281 2,481
CR 0 #163 3 5,526
MT Boys 0 #166 11 4,064
HU Boys 0 #167 8 3,954
PR Boys 0 #174 5 2,508
MY Boys 0 #176 2,512 25,439
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
MO Boys 0 #184 40 5,842
HK Boys 0 #188 681 12,905
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
SI Boys 0 #194 16 3,402
TW Boys 0 #195 47 7,111
ZA Boys 0 #195 3,332 25,619
JM Boys 0 #200 73 6,876
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
LU Boys 0 #217 4 4,970
BG Boys 0 #218 3 3,850
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
EC Boys 0 #224 16 3,322
AO Boys 0 #225 18 5,568
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #233 5 7,146
SG 0 #237 33 11,010
GH 0 #245 4 5,396
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
HR Boys 0 #256 4 3,997
HK 0 #260 91 8,483
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
CL Boys 0 #264 954 13,390
GR Boys 0 #267 7 6,912
CN Boys 0 #275 45 9,639
SA 0 #277 19 10,560
IL 0 #278 5 6,291
MY 0 #281 50 12,352
TW Girls 0 #288 2 8,139
CZ Boys 0 #294 11 6,530
GT 0 #295 20 5,948
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
Canada Boys 2024 #296 11 2,588
JP Boys 0 #296 8 7,909
AL Boys 0 #298 6 5,122
Finland 0 #298 10 830
DK Boys 0 #301 25 7,401
PL Boys 0 #310 26 6,459
PE 0 #322 8 6,350
GH Boys 0 #330 16 8,138
BO Boys 0 #337 325 9,244
UY Boys 0 #338 63 5,922
BO 0 #339 43 6,868
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
PT Boys 0 #339 29 7,951
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
MU Boys 0 #342 16 8,477
PH Boys 0 #344 40 11,440
CO Boys 0 #349 1,078 15,656
GT Boys 0 #358 117 7,625
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
CL 0 #365 47 6,867
Finland Boys 0 #379 49 2,041
France Boys 2021 #383 5 2,865
AR Boys 0 #408 60 7,628
CR Boys 0 #411 77 10,188
SG Boys 0 #421 288 17,960
OM Girls 0 #422 3 15,987
Austria Boys 0 #424 19 2,180
PA Boys 0 #426 56 9,305
CO 0 #428 53 7,768
Finland Boys 2026 #435 307 3,552
SD Boys 0 #436 10 10,523
MX 0 #438 8 8,339
Spain 0 #441 12 2,326
RU Boys 0 #446 60 12,621
PS Boys 0 #518 31 10,655
IQ Girls 0 #522 4 11,303
RU Girls 0 #522 2 11,913
CM Girls 0 #524 17 11,671
IR Boys 0 #531 22 10,162
BH 0 #541 13 17,937
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
PE Boys 0 #560 372 14,506
IL Boys 0 #578 30 10,983
AE Girls 0 #596 2 20,968
HK Girls 0 #605 11 16,104
IQ Boys 0 #612 56 13,071
SG Girls 0 #629 4 18,916
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
QA Boys 0 #674 34 18,093
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IT 0 #704 11 4,183
MX Boys 0 #731 255 16,355
BR Boys 0 #742 10 12,213
KW Boys 0 #749 21 18,755
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
Spain Boys 0 #795 136 5,610
TN 0 #813 17 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #843 50 7,044
OM Boys 0 #854 28 17,948
Germany Boys 0 #856 97 5,697
EG Boys 0 #875 12 15,035
SA Girls 0 #908 28 25,931
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
NL Girls 0 #923 33 5,933
MY Girls 0 #935 60 24,821
NG Boys 0 #935 17 16,906
IN Boys 0 #982 20 16,750
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,009 2 14,861
AE Boys 0 #1,021 72 22,615
MA 0 #1,098 31 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,110 32 25,928
TR 0 #1,117 95 19,440
CO Girls 0 #1,144 9 16,140
IT Boys 0 #1,200 272 10,046
DZ 0 #1,226 9 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,266 2 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,282 334 28,008
IT Girls 0 #1,435 12 9,415

Herman is popular in 85 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Canada
Sweden
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Herman

Herman is predominantly a boy's name.
Herman is a 2 syllable name, pronounced HER-mən (US: /ˈhɝmən/; UK: /ˈhɜːmən/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Hermann, Hermanus, Herm and Hermie.
Across languages, Herman has these equivalents: Hermann (German), Herman (Dutch), Herman (Swedish/Norwegian/Danish), German (Герман) (Russian), Hermanus (Latin), and 1 more.
Yes, very popular — Herman ranked #19 in Norway in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Herman ranks highest in Norway (#19 in 2025).
Herman's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #412 in 2011 to #383 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 5 notable people named Herman are in our database, including Herman Van Rompuy (Politician), Herman Cain (Politician), Herman van Veen (Actor|musician).