Harlem is a place name turned first name, after the neighborhood in Upper Manhattan that was settled by the Dutch and named for the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, usually explained as "home on a forested dune" or "high sandy place". The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s made it a symbol of Black culture and creativity, which is why many parents choose it. Harlem climbed from number 11008 in 2000, peaked at number 906 in 2020 and, after slipping just outside the US top 1000 in 2024, ranks number 971 among boys' names in 2025.