Given name & surname
Hendrik
“home”·“power”·“ruler”
Hendrik is a form of Henry. Henry combines “home” with “power” or “ruler,” giving the sense “ruler of the home.” In German use, Hendrik has a related form in Heinrich. In German use, Heinrich carries the interpretation “the ruler of the house.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Hendrik is a form of Henry. Henry combines “home” with “power” or “ruler,” giving the sense “ruler of the home.” In German use, Hendrik has a related form in Heinrich. In German use, Heinrich carries the interpretation “the ruler of the house.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Hendrik has a related form in Ain. Ain has been associated with Irish and Arabic naming traditions. Hendrik is a form of Henry. Henry is an English form of a Continental Germanic name introduced to Britain by the Normans. Hendrik has a related form in Heino. An origin associated with Heino is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Hendrik is a form of Henry. The shared background comes through Henry: Henry’s Germanic elements are haim and ric. In England, Henry became the standard everyday form over Harry in the seventeenth century, influenced by Latin Henricus and French Henri.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1917. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Hendrik is a form of Henry. The history of Henry gives this family its wider story. Henry was borne by eight kings of England, and related forms were used by rulers elsewhere in Europe. That repeated royal use helped give the name a lasting place in several naming traditions. Hendrik has a related form in Henri. The history of Henri gives this family its wider story. Henri has a history of use among French royal or aristocratic families.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Hendrik through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,387
- 1,387 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 85 babies
- 2025
- 50
- #2,620 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 50 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,620 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Michigan had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,928 as a first name in 2020; 113 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hendrik’s family of names
In Afrikaans usage, Hendrik has a diminutive in Hennie. Hendrik shares a linguistic root with Henry. In Dutch usage, Hendrik has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Enrique.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Hendrik has relatives in 14 languages.
28 related names in 14 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 38
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Henrycognate · English, French
- Ericequivalent
- Erikequivalent
- EnriqueSpanish
- Harryequivalent
- Haroldequivalent
- Henrikcognate · Danish, Swedish
- HenriquePortuguese
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- HenrykPolish
- EnricoItalian, Spanish
- Haraldequivalent
- Erichequivalent
- Eirikequivalent
- Erykequivalent
- Enricequivalent
- Hendricequivalent
- Henrichequivalent
- Heinzequivalent
- Heinequivalent
- Enrikoequivalent
- Hinnerkequivalent
- ΕρρίκοςGreek
- HenricoPortuguese
- HendrigoPortuguese
- JindřichCzech
- Hinrikequivalent
- Henrikasequivalent
- Èricequivalent
- Henrihequivalent
- Éricequivalent
- Henkeequivalent
- Henkleequivalent
- Andrinequivalent
- Eiríkurequivalent
- Ericusequivalent
- Hennekeequivalent
- Hinrichequivalent
- Hynekequivalent
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Hendrik
- Johan CruyffDutch footballer and manager (1947–2016)
- Hendrik LorentzDutch physicist (1853–1928)
- Hendrik VerwoerdPrime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 19661901–1966
- Hendrik ConscienceBelgian author (1812-1883)
- Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-SchwerinPrince consort of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1934 (1876-1934)
- Hans KramersDutch physicist (1894–1952)
- Henry I of BrabantDuke of Brabant (from 1183) and Duke of Lower Lotharingia (from 1190)1165–1235
- Heinrich von Veldekemedieval Dutch writer
- Henk ten CateDutch association football player and managerborn 1954
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Hendrik, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hendry
“home” · “power”
>99% boys
Aldric
“an old king”
>99% boys
Friedrich
“a peaceful ruler”
>99% boys
Ciro
“a king”
>99% boys
Aldrich
“an old king”
>99% boys
Hugo
“a great thinker” · “having a bright mind”
>99% boys
Auguste
“one who is venerable; majestic”
>99% boys
Wilkes
“will” · “desire”
>99% boys