Given name & surname
Harlem
“a soulful man”
Harlem is a variant of Harlemm. One American interpretation is “a soulful man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Harlem is a variant of Harlemm. One American interpretation is “a soulful man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Harlem is a variant of Harlemm. An origin associated with Harlemm is American.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1975. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Harlem through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5,182
- 3,437 boys · 1,745 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 409 babies
- 2025
- 383
- #971 for boys · #1,462 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +18%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 63% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 236 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 971 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 147 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Georgia had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,365 as a first name in 2020; 152 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Harlem
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Harlem, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Kamari is a masculine given name.
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