Henderson
Masculine · “son of Henry”
Henderson is son of Hendry, the Scots form of Henry — so the meaning runs back to home-ruler, the Germanic compound about authority over an estate.
How old is the name Henderson?
Henderson was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Henderson alive today was born around 1942, making them about 83 years old. About 2,000 people named Henderson are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Henderson most popular?
Henderson peaked in 1882, reaching #332 nationally. Today it ranks #2604, 2,272 places below that high. See the whole 1882 chart.
Henderson appears on these lists:
Where it comes from
From Haimirich to Henderson
The story of Henderson
Henderson and MacKendrick are the Lowland and Highland forms of the same patronymic, and Clan Henderson held lands in Glencoe and in Fife. Scottish emigration carried the surname to America, where it entered given-name use in the nineteenth century among the wave of Scottish surnames then being adopted. It peaked around 1900.
Meaning
son of Henry
Through Hendry, the Scots form of Henry, from the Germanic haim, 'home' or 'estate', and ric, 'ruler'. The -son ending is the standard patronymic. Clan Henderson takes its name from the practice, and the surname is thoroughly documented in Scottish records.
How the name formed
- Haimirich
- Henry
- Hendry
- Henderson
Related forms: MacKendrick · Hendrickson · Hendriks
Pronouncing Henderson
HEN-dur-sun
Three syllables, stress on the first. Said identically in every English accent.
Nicknames for Henderson
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 191883 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #332reached in 1882
- Change vs 2022
- −34.2%50 in 2025, from 76
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Henderson in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- MacKendrick in Scottish — related form
- Hendrickson in English — related form
- Hendriks in Dutch — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, Georgia, North Carolina.
Hendersons among us
people named Henderson are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 34,162 born in 2025 was named Henderson
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Henderson sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Henderson is headed
Henderson looks set to keep climbing gently, with roughly 18% more babies a year by 2030 if the current curve holds. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Henderson beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Henderson in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Henry behind it has a transparent meaning and an enormous royal record.
- A documented Scottish clan carries the name.
- Three syllables with a front stress, which holds up against a short surname.
- It reads unmistakably as a surname.
- Three syllables make it long for everyday use.
- It is strongly period-coded to the turn of the last century.
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What they receive
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Henderson
Masculine · #2604 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Hendersons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,000 people named Henderson are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Henderson in 2025?
- Henderson ranks #2604 among US boy names in 2025, with 50 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Henderson?
- About 1 in every 34,162 US boys born in 2025 was named Henderson — 50 in all.
- Will my child share the name Henderson with classmates?
- Henderson will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Henderson
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Yahia#2604 · Larson#2604 · Mazin#2604 · Rowe#2604 · Hendrik#2604 · Dayvon#2604 · Kipton#2604 · Finlay#2604
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Henderson? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Henderson and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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