Given name & surname
Hy
“a giver of life”
In English use, Hy is a short form of Hyman. One Hebrew interpretation is “a giver of life.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Hy is a short form of Hyman. One Hebrew interpretation is “a giver of life.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Hy is a form of Hyman. Hyman comes from Hebrew.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In English usage, Hy is a short form of Hyman.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Hy through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 117
- 117 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 11 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 11 in 1915. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 887 as a first name in 2020; 933 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.
Hy’s family of names
In English usage, Hy is a short form of Hyman. Hy has a related form in Hyman.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Hy
- Hy AverbackAmerican actor, producer and director (1920-1997)
- Hy ZaretAmerican lyricist and composer (1907-2007)
- Hy AnzellYiddish-speaking American television and movie actor (1923-2003)
- Hy CohenAmerican baseball player (1931-2021)
- Hy Eismancartoonist (1927-2025)
- Hy PykeAmerican comedian (1935–2006)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Hy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hughes
“having a bright mind”
>99% boys
Hilton
“a wealthy woman” · “from the town on the hill”
85% boys · 15% girls
Hale
“from the hall of light; a heroine” · “from the hall; a hero”
>99% boys
Haywood
“from the hedged forest”
>99% boys
Howell
“a distinguished or eminent man”
>99% boys
Hiram
“my brother has been exalted”
>99% boys
Hardy
“one who is bold and courageous”
98% boys · 2% girls
Gaines
“one who acquires”
>99% boys