Given name

Hortense

“a gardener”

Hortense is used as a given name. One Latin interpretation is “a gardener.” Its derivation is not certain.

Meaning & origin

What it means

One Latin interpretation is “a gardener.” Its derivation is not certain.

Where it comes from

A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.

How it developed

Probably from Latin Hortēnsia.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Hortense through the years

Babies since 1880
6,313
0 boys · 6,313 girls
Most popular year
1919
229 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
—
Too few births to compare
010020030018801900192019401960198020002025Highest share 19030.0
Hortense in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 1976. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 229 in 1919. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,433 as a first name in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Hortense’s family of names

Hortense has a related form in Hortensia. Hortense has a related form in Hortence. Hortense has a related form in Hortensios.

Walk Hortense’s family in the name graph

HortenseHortensiaHortenceHortensiosHortensiusHortusOrtensiaOrtenseHortensjaHortenziaHortenzie

Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Hortense has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.

Latin

3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 5

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Across languages 5

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

Similar names

If you love Hortense, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Latin · Old-fashioned

Verda

“springlike; one who is young and fresh”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Latin · Old-fashioned

Ora

“one who prays to God”

29RareRising

5% boys · 95% girls

Latin · Old-fashioned

Zona

“a decorative sash; belt”

11Very rareEasing

>99% girls

Latin · Old-fashioned

Leta

“one who is glad; joyful; loved by all”

16Very rareCooling

>99% girls

Latin · Old-fashioned

Pauline

“a petite woman”

33RareSteady

>99% girls

French · Old-fashioned

Clarice

“fame”

32RareSteady

>99% girls

Latin · Old-fashioned

Cecile

Cecile is a feminine given name from French, ultimately from Latin. It is used in English, Cebuano, and Old French.

23RareEasing

>99% girls

Danish · Old-fashioned

Almeta

“one who is ambitious” · “resembling a pearl”

0Not recently recorded

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Hortense’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Hortense

A sister for Hortense