A male name. (Latin Henricus, German Heinrich, Heinz, Heine, Dutch Hendrik, French Henri, Italian Enrico, Spanish Enrique); Old German Haimirich, compound of haimi ‘house’, ‘home’, and ricja ‘rule’. This was latinized as Henricus and became Henri in French. There are five tenants of this name in Domesday Book, and the eight King Henry's in the 11th to 16th C are some measure of the popularity of the name in the Middle Ages, a popularity which has fluctuated very little since. The French Henri in English pronunciation became Harry, and Harry or Herry was the usual English form of the name until the 17th C. At the present time Harry is often regarded as a mere pet-form of Henry instead of the right English version of the name. The surnames derived from the various forms of this name are very numerous, including Henry, Henryson, Harris, Harrisson, Harries, Herries, Henderson, Hendry; Hawke Hawkins, &c., are from Halkin, the diminutive of Hal, a favourite pet-form of Henry; Herriot is from the diminutive Henriot, (English Herriot).

Henricus Domesday Book 1086, Curia Regis Rolls 1187-1330. Hanry Hundred Rolls 1273, Testa de Neville, or Book of Fees, temp. Hen. III-Edw. I 13th C. Henry or Hanry Testa de Neville, or Book of Fees, temp. Hen. III-Edw. I 13th C. Harry or Herry 15th C Brut. Hrery Lincs 1459. Hary Cocke Lorelle's Bote c. 1515.

‘Where Heimrich’—later Heinrich, and literally ‘home-rule’ (Teutonic)—‘first began does not appear,’—though the name is blood-brother to Heimdall, ‘the third sword-god of the old Teutonic mythology and the mysterious watchman whose duty it was to protect Asgard, the heaven of the early Scandinavians’ (Swan),—‘but it sprung into fame with the Saxon emperor called the Fowler, and his descendant (972—1024) won the honours of a saint, whence this became a special favourite in Germany... From the Kaisers, the third Capetian King of France was christened Henri, a form always frequent there... It must have been from the reigning French monarch that William the Conqueror took Henry for his youngest son, from whom the first Plantagenet king received... it’ in 1068 and made it an English kingly name in 1100 (Yonge).

One author renders this name ‘home-ruler.’ Meidinger gives a Gothic name Heinric, an Icelandic Heimrekr, and the Middle High German names Chuniric, Cynric, Kunric, Henric, Kenrec, Hunerich, Hainreich, the Anglo-Saxon Henric and Cynric, and the New High German Heinrich; but all these names are the same as the old Hunoricus, from kunreich, illustrious for strength (virtute pollens).

Teutonic (masculine) - A mighty lord or a hero.

A Teutonic name, meaning: Ruler of the home: chief of the dwelling.

A Gaelic name: Eanruig; from Old English Henric, now Henry, from Germanic Heim-rik, “home-ruler” (Eng. home and ric in bishop-ric, rich). Hence Mackendrick, Henderson.