Here you’ll find 41 American boy names that start with H, organized from “Hadrian” to “Huxley”. These names range from classical and historical choices to modern and trending options used across the U.S. Use this list for baby-name research, family naming decisions, or quick cultural reference.
American boy names that start with H are male given names used in the United States that begin with the letter H. Several, like “Harold” and “Henry”, have long historical roots, while others reflect recent international and creative naming trends.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Pronunciation, Origin/Meaning, Notes, and U.S. usage.
Name: The given name as commonly spelled, so you can scan and compare entries at a glance.
Pronunciation: A concise phonetic guide to help you say each name correctly when you introduce it.
Origin/Meaning: A one-line note on the name’s linguistic origin and basic meaning for cultural context.
Notes: Brief remarks on variants, famous bearers, or regional usage to help you evaluate the name.
U.S. usage: Frequency indicators or recent popularity notes to show how common the name is in the United States.
American boy names that start with H
| Name | Pronunciation | Origin/Meaning | Popularity (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry | HEN-ree | Germanic: “home ruler” (Ety) | — |
| Hank | HANK | English diminutive of Henry; “home ruler” (Ety) | — |
| Hal | HAL | Short form of Harold/Henry; “army-ruler/home ruler” (Ety) | — |
| Harold | HAIR-uhld | Old English: “army ruler” (Ety) | — |
| Harry | HAIR-ee | From Henry/Harold, “home or army ruler” (Ety) | — |
| Harrison | HAIR-uh-sun | English: “son of Harry” (patronymic) (Ety) | — |
| Hayden | HAY-den | English/Irish: “hay valley” or “heathen” debated (Ety) | — |
| Hudson | HUD-suhn | English: “son of Hud” (patronymic) or from river name (Ety) | — |
| Hunter | HUN-ter | English occupational: “one who hunts” (Ety) | — |
| Hugo | HYOO-goh | Germanic/Latin: “mind, spirit” (Ety) | — |
| Holden | HOHLD-en | English surname; possibly “hollow valley” (Ety) | — |
| Hayes | HAYZ | English: “hedged area” or variant of Hays (Ety) | — |
| Hendrix | HEN-driks | Dutch/Scandinavian patronymic; “son of Hendrik” (Ety) | — |
| Huxley | HUKS-lee | Old English: “Hucc’s clearing” or surname origin (Ety) | — |
| Hector | HEK-tor | Greek: “hold fast, steadier” (Ety) | — |
| Heath | HEETH | Old English: “heath, open land” (Ety) | — |
| Howard | HOW-erd | Old English: “high guardian” or Norse origin (Ety) | — |
| Harlan | HAR-luhn | Old English: “rocky land” or “hare land” (Ety) | — |
| Harvey | HAR-vee | Old English: “battle worthy” or Breton “blazing iron” (Ety) | — |
| Hubert | HYOO-bert | Germanic: “bright mind” (Ety) | — |
| Hollis | HOL-iss | Old English: “dweller by the holly trees” (Ety) | — |
| Houston | HYOO-stuhn | English surname from place name; “Hugh’s town” (Ety) | — |
| Horace | HOR-iss | Latin: “timekeeper” or from Roman family name Horatius (Ety) | — |
| Hiram | HY-ram | Hebrew: “exalted brother” (Bible) | — |
| Hershel | HER-shell | Yiddish variant of Hirsh or Harold; “deer” association (Ety) | — |
| Humphrey | HUM-free | Old Germanic: “peaceful warrior” (Ety) | — |
| Huck | HUK | Short form of Huckleberry or nickname (literary) (OED) | — |
| Hamish | HAY-mish | Scottish form of James; “supplanter” (Ety) | — |
| Hamza | HAM-zah | Arabic: “lion, steadfast” (Ety) | — |
| Hasan | HAH-sahn | Arabic: “handsome, good” (Ety) | — |
| Hans | HAHNS | German/Dutch short form of Johannes (Ety) | — |
| Hezekiah | HEZ-uh-KYE-uh | Hebrew: “God strengthens” (Bible) | — |
| Hadrian | HAY-dree-uhn | Latin: “from Hadria” (Roman place name) (Ety) | — |
| Hartley | HART-lee | English surname: “stag meadow” (Ety) | — |
| Harley | HAR-lee | Old English: “hare’s meadow” (Ety) | — |
| Hamilton | HAM-il-tuhn | English/Scottish surname; “crooked hill” (Ety) | — |
| Hale | HAYL | Old English: “nook, hollow” (Ety) | — |
| Hart | HART | English: “stag” (archaic) (Ety) | — |
| Heber | HEE-ber | Hebrew: “enclave” or “comrade” (Bible/Hebrew) (Ety) | — |
| Herschel | HER-shell | German/Yiddish diminutive of Hirsch (Ety) | — |
| Hosea | hoh-SEE-uh | Hebrew: “salvation” (Bible) | — |
Descriptions
Henry
Classic favorite in the U.S., many royal and literary bearers; variants include Hank, Enrique (OED, SSA).
Hank
Informal, Americana vibe; used independently as a given name (country singers, actors) (OED).
Hal
Old-fashioned nickname still used as a standalone choice; literary use (Shakespeare, OED).
Harold
Traditional Anglo name, common in older generations; short forms Hal, Harry (OED).
Harry
Casual, friendly form used as an independent name; royal and pop-culture ties (OED).
Harrison
Surname-turned-first-name with presidential and actor associations; popular in modern U.S. naming (Ety, SSA).
Hayden
Unisex in the U.S., popular since the 1990s; spellings include Haiden, Haydn (Parenting sites).
Hudson
Strong surname-first-name trend; geographic and modern-sounding (Parenting sites, SSA).
Hunter
Long-standing popular boy name in U.S.; rugged image, common in sports and entertainment (SSA).
Hugo
Old-world charm with rising use in U.S.; short form Hugh relation; literary and artistic ties (Ety).
Holden
Literary resonance from Catcher in the Rye; modern surname-as-first-name trend (Ety, Parenting sites).
Hayes
Short, surname-style pick trending in the U.S.; sleek sound, recent rise (SSA, Parenting sites).
Hendrix
Rock-music association (Jimi Hendrix); edgy modern name choice (Music sources, Parenting sites).
Huxley
Literary and cerebral feel (Aldous Huxley); growing as a distinctive U.S. choice (Ety, Parenting sites).
Hector
Classic mythic name used in U.S.; Hispanic usage common (Greek myth, SSA).
Heath
Nature-inspired, rugged-sounding name; known from actor Heath Ledger (OED, pop culture).
Howard
Traditional American name; more common in older generations (Census, OED).
Harlan
Vintage-surname style with Midwestern and Southern usage; rising interest (Ety, Parenting sites).
Harvey
Friendly vintage name with steady U.S. use; pop-culture appearances (OED, SSA).
Hubert
Traditional European name used in the U.S.; older generation name, saintly history (OED).
Hollis
Used for boys and occasionally girls in the U.S.; surname-origin, Southern use (Ety, Census).
Houston
City-name and surname used as a given name in the U.S.; Southern and urban associations (Ety).
Horace
Classical Roman name, once common in U.S.; literary and old-fashioned charm (OED).
Hiram
Biblical and 19th-century U.S. usage; rare but historically grounded (Bible, Census).
Hershel
Jewish-American usage common historically; also spelled Herschel (Jewish sources).
Humphrey
Quirky vintage name with British flair; used sporadically in U.S. (Ety, Census).
Huck
Literary association (Huckleberry Finn); used as an informal given name in the U.S. (Mark Twain).
Hamish
Scottish flavor sometimes used in U.S.; familiar to families with Celtic ties (Ety, Parenting sites).
Hamza
Common in Muslim communities in the U.S.; growing visibility (Census, community sources).
Hasan
Widely used in Muslim-American families; variant Hassan also common (Ety, community data).
Hans
European-rooted name used in U.S., often in families of Germanic descent (Census, Ety).
Hezekiah
Biblical, increasingly chosen by U.S. parents seeking vintage-biblical names (Bible, SSA data).
Hadrian
Roman-historical name with modern appeal; uncommon but used in the U.S. (Ety, Parenting sites).
Hartley
Surnames-as-first-names trend; gentle, literary sound used in U.S. (Ety, Parenting sites).
Harley
Originally surname, popular as unisex given name in the U.S.; motorcycle culture links (Pop culture).
Hamilton
Surname-first-name with presidential and musical associations; used in U.S. (Ety, pop culture).
Hale
Short, crisp name with vintage American usage; also a surname and nature word (Ety).
Hart
Strong, one-syllable name used occasionally in the U.S.; fashionable surname style (Ety, Parenting sites).
Heber
Biblical and Mormon historical usage in the U.S.; uncommon today (Bible, Census).
Herschel
Variant spelling of Hershel; historical Jewish-American usage (Jewish sources).
Hosea
Biblical prophet name used in U.S.; vintage and spiritual choice (Bible, SSA historical lists)