Henry

If there were an award for names that sound like they would remember your birthday, Henry would win it every year. It has the warmth of an old friend and the backbone of a very good headmaster, which is a difficult double act to pull off.

Henry comes from Germanic roots and means home ruler. Anyone who has ever lived with a two-year-old will recognise the job description instantly. Who rules the home? The tiny person with jam on his face, obviously. At least with Henry, it is right there in the name.

Australia's sweetheart

Henry is currently at the top of its game. The real standout is Australia, where it sits at number 4 on the 2025 figures. It is number 9 in the United States (on 2020 data), number 12 in Canada, and a joint number 14 in both England & Wales and New Zealand. That is a name that has well and truly arrived.

Brazil has it at 51, which feels like a quiet vote of confidence. Then things fall away sharply: 527 in France and 697 in Argentina. So if you are after a name that is beloved in English-speaking countries but still feels a touch distinctive elsewhere, Henry fits the bill neatly.

Of course, popularity cuts both ways. In parts of Australia, shouting Henry at the park might summon several small boys at once. Whether that thrills or horrifies you is a matter of personal taste, and possibly of how loudly you shout.

Among real-world namesakes, the best known is Henry Ford, the American business magnate, which gives the name a certain get-things-done energy to go with all that warmth.

Harry, Hank or Hal?

Where Henry really shines is in its choice of nicknames, each of which has a completely different personality:

• Harry: cheerful, mischievous, a born storyteller
• Hank: laid-back, sturdy, a little bit cowboy
• Hal: crisp, clever and rather literary

That means your Henry can try out three different versions of himself before settling on whichever one fits. Or he can simply stay Henry, which sounds just as good on a birthday cake as it does on a business card.

When it comes to siblings, Henry slots in neatly with William, Charlotte, Arthur, George and Alice. These are names that have been tried and tested for generations without ever wearing thin. Henry and Alice sound like a pair from a gentle children's book. Henry and Arthur sound like they share a bunk bed and a great many arguments about it.

Picking a name is never as simple as it looks on paper, though. You can adore a name for months and then wobble the moment you meet your baby, or discover your best friend had quietly earmarked it years ago. Such is the joy and the agony of it. But if you want something warm, classic and unmistakably in charge, Henry is a name that is very much at home.