Given name & surname
Henderson
“the son of Henry”
Henderson is used as a given name and a surname. One Scottish interpretation is “the son of Henry.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scottish interpretation is “the son of Henry.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scottish.
How it developed
In English usage, Henderson as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to Hendry.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Henderson through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,293
- 4,293 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 83 babies
- 2025
- 50
- #2,619 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +43%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 50 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,619 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 42.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 83 in 1918. In 2025, Ohio and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,848 as a first name in 2020; 210,128 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.
Henderson’s family of names
In English usage, Henderson as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to Hendry. Henderson has a related form in Hend. Henderson has a related form in Hendry.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Henderson
- Henderson ForsytheAmerican actor (1917-2006)
- Henderson ÁlvarezVenezuelan professional baseball pitcherborn 1990
- Henderson L. LanhamAmerican politician (1888-1957)
- Henderson M. JacowayAmerican politician (1870-1947)
- Henderson H. CarsonAmerican politician (1893-1971)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Henderson, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Howell
“a distinguished or eminent man”
>99% boys
Ennis
“from the market town” · “from the island; the only choice”
>99% boys
Orin
“a dark-haired beauty”
99% boys · 1% girls
Henery
Henery is a surname from Irish.
>99% boys
Cyril
“a master or lord”
>99% boys
Oran
“surrounded by light” · “a pale-skinned man”
>99% boys
Lloyd
“grey(-haired)” · “a gray-haired man; one who is sacred”
>99% boys
Kermit
“one who is free of envy”
>99% boys