Harlem is a distinctive choice, ranked #1859 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Harlem in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#1859
US Rank #911
About the Name Harlem
Harlem is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 3634 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #1398 in 2017 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a regular feature in UK records since 2000.
Harlem is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #911, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Harlem
Unlikely. With around 13 UK babies named Harlem per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Harlem in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Harlem is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 3634 places over the last five years to #1859 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Harlem is more popular in the US (#911) than in the UK (#1859). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Harlem does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Harlems in the wild.
13
UK babies named Harlem (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 3634 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Harlem
Likely around 1 other Harlem in the class
UK Popularity (2000–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2023)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Harlem
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
A Great Day in Harlem or Harlem 1958 is a black-and-white photograph of 57 jazz musicians in Harlem, New York, taken by freelance photographer Art Kane for Esquire magazine on August 12, 1958. The idea for the photo came from Esquire's art director, Robert Benton, rather than Kane.