Honour

Meaning & origin

Honour is a modern virtue name that entered U.S. records in 1988, reflecting a revival of word names with moral weight. Though it remains rare, with a ranking of 10,107 and approximately 1 in every 178,585 births in 2025, the name saw its peak popularity in 2016, a time when many similar virtue names also experienced brief upswings. Its trajectory has been falling since 2022, indicating a waning but still present appeal. As a unisex name, Honour is slightly more common for girls, but its usage is so sparse that the difference is minimal. Top states for the name are not available due to low sample counts, but the name's British spelling suggests a stronger presence in the United Kingdom than the United States.

Honour is a modern English virtue name derived directly from the abstract noun, which entered Middle English via Old French 'honur' from Latin 'honos' (meaning 'honor, esteem'). Its use as a given name follows the Puritan tradition of adopting virtuous word names. While the spelling 'Honor' has existed as a given name since the 16th century, the distinctly British 'Honour' spelling emerged in the late 20th century, likely influenced by cultural figures and the fashion for elaborate word names.