UK name, mostly girls
Harli
A variant of the name Harlene meaning "army, ruler, little rock".
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.
Harli is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Harli popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 9 births.
This profile covers 89 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2001 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 110 living people in the UK are called Harli. 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
- • Harli ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 9 girls were registered as Harli.
- • Harli ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
- • Harli is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 110 living people in the UK are estimated to have Harli as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 78.1% of Harli registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2017
9 births
Estimated living
110
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Harli
In England and Wales birth records, Harli has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 21.9% of registrations are for boys and 78.1% 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.
Harli registered for boys
- Ranked #4,812 in 2017
- 3 boys registered in 2017
- Peak: 2010 (6 births)
Harli registered for girls
- Ranked #5,687 in 2023
- 3 girls registered in 2023
- Peak: 2017 (9 births)
Meaning
What does Harli mean?
The name Harli is a diminutive form of the English name Harry, which is derived from the Old French name Henri. Henri stems from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning "home ruler." The name was popularized in the 12th century due to its use by several members of the royal family in England and France.
Harli can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it emerged as a nickname or pet form of Harry. It was commonly used as a diminutive for children or young boys named Harry. The earliest recorded use of Harli as a given name dates back to the 16th century in England.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Harli was Harli of Northumbria, a nobleman who lived in the 7th century. He was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Northumbria and played a role in the establishment of Christianity in the region.
In the 18th century, Harli Pennington (1701-1784) was a British politician and member of Parliament who served as the Mayor of Liverpool. He was known for his efforts in improving the city's infrastructure and promoting trade.
Another notable figure with the name Harli was Harli White (1876-1958), an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball from 1901 to 1918. He was a pitcher and played for several teams, including the Boston Americans and the Philadelphia Athletics.
Harli Parkinson (1904-1981) was a British artist known for her landscapes and portraiture. She was a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and had her works exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.
In the literary world, Harli Shuhart (1927-2003) was an American author best known for her children's books. Her works, such as "The Dragonet Prophecy" and "The Lost City of Zill," were popular and received critical acclaim.
While the name Harli has roots in the English language, it has gained popularity in various cultures and regions around the world, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its historical origins can be traced back to the Old French and Germanic names, making it a name with a rich and diverse heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Harli over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Harli in England and Wales, from 2001 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 Harli, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Harli by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Harli 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 | #4284 | 20 | 4 |
| 2010s | #3685 | 49 | 8 |
| 2000s | #4470 | 20 | 6 |
Geography
Where Harli is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Harli. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Harli ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #760 in 2022.
Across the UK
Harli in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#760 in 2022
6 years of NRS records, 22 total registered
Related
Names similar to Harli
- 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
Harli: questions and answers
How popular is the name Harli in the UK right now?
In 2023, Harli was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Harli most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 9 babies registered as Harli in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Harli?
A variant of the name Harlene meaning "army, ruler, little rock".
How many people are called Harli in the UK?
A total of 89 babies have been registered as Harli across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 22 more in Scotland.
Where is Harli most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Harli ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #760 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.