UK name, mostly girls
Harbour
A place of shelter for ships or vessels, providing safety and refuge.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 25 boys.
Harbour is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Harbour popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 5 births.
This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2015 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 28 living people in the UK are called Harbour. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Harbour ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 5 girls were registered as Harbour.
- • Harbour is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 28 living people in the UK are estimated to have Harbour as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 52.8% of Harbour registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2018
5 births
Estimated living
28
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Harbour
In England and Wales birth records, Harbour has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 47.2% of registrations are for boys and 52.8% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Harbour registered for boys
- Ranked #3,112 in 2023
- 6 boys registered in 2023
- Peak: 2021 (8 births)
Harbour registered for girls
- Ranked #4,709 in 2023
- 4 girls registered in 2023
- Peak: 2018 (5 births)
Meaning
What does Harbour mean?
The name Harbour is derived from the Old English word "herebeorg," which means "shelter for soldiers" or "army camp." It originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries. The name was likely given to children born in or near such army camps or shelters.
In ancient times, the name Harbour was often spelled as "Herebeorht" or "Herebeorga." It was a common name among the Anglo-Saxon nobility and warrior class. The name appears in several historical records and chronicles from that era, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Domesday Book.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Harbour was Herebeorht of Northumbria, a nobleman who lived in the 7th century. Another notable figure was Herebeorga of Mercia, a thegn (nobleman) who served King Offa of Mercia in the 8th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Harbour gained popularity among the English gentry and noblemen. In the 12th century, a knight named Harbour de Montfort fought in the Crusades and was mentioned in several accounts of the battles. In the 13th century, Harbour de Lacy was a prominent English landowner and baron.
In the Renaissance period, the name Harbour was often associated with seafarers and naval officers. One notable example is Harbour Raleigh, an English explorer and navigator who was active in the late 16th century. He is believed to be a distant relative of the famous Sir Walter Raleigh.
Another famous bearer of the name was Harbour Colburn, an English mathematician and writer who lived in the 19th century. He is known for his contributions to the field of mathematics and his work on calculating logarithms.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Harbour over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Harbour in England and Wales, from 2015 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Harbour, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Harbour by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Harbour was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4631 | 16 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4829 | 12 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Harbour
- Hannah 67,635
- Holly 52,307
- Harriet 24,781
- Hollie 17,902
- Harper 15,784
- Heidi 12,675
- Hallie 9,873
- Hope 9,414
- Hayley 5,968
- Hazel 5,954
- Hanna 5,735
- Heather 5,497
FAQ
Harbour: questions and answers
How popular is the name Harbour in the UK right now?
In 2023, Harbour was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Harbour most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 5 babies registered as Harbour in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Harbour?
A place of shelter for ships or vessels, providing safety and refuge.
How many people are called Harbour in the UK?
A total of 28 babies have been registered as Harbour across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.