The Harry Potter books, movies, short stories, and spinoffs will undoubtedly have quite the impact on baby names for a long time. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the original, UK version of the first book) was published on June 26, 1997, according to The Guardian.
The premise of the books likely needs no introduction, but they center on orphan Harry Potter, who, after being taken in by his maternal aunt, uncle, and cousin, receives an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is told that he is a wizard. The American version of the first book — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — was released by children's book giant Scholastic in 1998 with little fanfare. The film version of the first book, however, hit theaters in 2001 and all things Harry Potter became increasingly popular after that.
In 2000, 438 American baby boys were named Harry, according to data gathered from the Social Security Administration's website, while 454 little boys were given the name in 2001. The name has enjoyed another popularity boost recently, with the staging of the play, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child in London — and the subsequent release of the play in book form. In 2015, 300 baby boys were born in the U.S. and named Harry, while in 2016, when the play debuted, 372 American baby Harrys were born. Only time will tell if additional Harry Potter material continues to influence baby names.
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