Boy Names Starting with H

Given Names Starting with H and Their Origins

• Habib: This Arabic name traces back to the word base for "beloved" or "friend."
• Hadi: A name from the Arabic language area. The documented meaning is "guide" or "leader."
• Hagen: An Old High German name. The name syllable "hag" stands for "enclosure" or "protection."
• Hakan: A Turkish given name with Mongolian roots, historically documented as a title for "ruler" or "emperor."
• Halil: This Arabic name means "close friend."
• Hamza: A traditional Arabic name. It is widely translated as "lion" or "the strong one," although the exact earliest word root is not considered completely certain.
• Hannes: A documented short form of Johannes. The Hebrew word base means "God is gracious."
• Hanno: An old short form for names starting with "Han-," usually Johannes or Hanns.
• Hans: The classic among short forms of Johannes, establishing itself as an independent name in the German-speaking area starting in the late Middle Ages.
• Harald: Composed of the Old High German words for "army" and "to rule" (or "to govern").
• Harvey: An English name with Breton roots. The documented meaning is composed of the elements for "battle" and "worthy."
• Hasan: An Arabic name whose word base means "handsome" or "good."
• Hauke: A Frisian short form. It is mostly traced back to names containing the Old High German element "hugu" (spirit, mind).
• Heiko: The East Frisian and Low German short form of Heinrich.
• Hektor: A name from Greek mythology. The Greek word root means "holding fast" or "the pillar/support."
• Helge: A Nordic name. It goes back to the Old Norse word "heilagr," meaning "holy" or "consecrated."
• Hendrik: The Dutch and Low German variant of Heinrich.
• Henning: A Low German name. The exact origin is not definitively clear; it may have originated as a pet form of Johannes or Heinrich. A universal meaning can therefore not be determined.
• Henri / Henry: The French and English forms of Heinrich, respectively. The Old High German roots mean "ruler of the home" or "mighty."
• Hjalmar: An Old Norse name formed from the words for "helmet" and "warrior" (or "army").
• Holger: A Scandinavian name. The Old Norse elements mean "island" and "spear."
• Horst: An old German name. The Old High German word base "hurst" stands for "thicket" or "forest."
• Hubert: An Old High German name. It is composed of the elements for "spirit" or "mind" and "bright" or "famous."
• Hugo: Traces directly back to the Old High German word "hugu," which means "spirit" or "mind."
• Hüseyin: The Turkish form of Hussein. It is a diminutive form of Hasan, literally meaning "the little handsome one" or "the little good one."

Pronunciation and Special Considerations for This Initial Letter

If you choose a boy name starting with H, you should keep the pronunciation in an international context in mind. In German and English, the H at the beginning of a name is pronounced with a distinct aspiration. In other languages, especially in French, Spanish, or Italian, the H is often silent. A name like Henri is pronounced without an H sound in French, just as Hector is in Spanish. If you live in a multilingual environment, it is helpful to consider these differences in advance.

In addition, it is worth looking at how the name pairs with your last name. If your last name also begins with H, this creates an alliteration (for example, Hannes Huber). Some parents intentionally seek out this effect because it sounds memorable. Others find the repetition of the same letter distracting. The best approach is to try out the combination by saying the first and last names out loud several times in a row.

Narrowing Down the Shortlist Together

It often helps to reflect on names separately at first. In the HeyName app, you can rate given names independently as "Favorite," "Maybe," or "Not a match." Use the filter to display only names starting with the letter H. Names that both of you have marked as a favorite will then appear as mutual matches. This allows you to specifically discuss your shortlist together and see which name fits best with your last name.

Editorial update: September 22, 2026

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