Henry is the English form of the Germanic Heinrich and means "home ruler" or "ruler of the household", from heim, home, and rih, ruler. Eight kings of England bore the name, and in America it belonged to Henry Ford and Henry David Thoreau. Once a staple of the early 20th century, Henry has made a full comeback: from number 126 in 2000 into the top 10 in 2020 and up to fifth place in 2025, its best rank in more than a century.