Fun Facts About the Name Hemi
- 288 babies named Hemi: U.S. records list 288 babies given the name Hemi from 1880 through 2025. Even 102 girls received the name Hemi - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.
What Does the Name Hemi Mean?
Hemi (written Hēmi in Māori) is the Māori form of the English name James. It is not a separate Māori word with a meaning of its own; Māori speakers reshaped James to fit Māori sounds, using h where English has the j sound and the vowels e and i for the English vowels.
James comes from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, known in English as Jacob. That Hebrew name is traditionally connected with aqev, "heel," and with the birth story in which Jacob is born grasping his twin brother's heel. The literal sense is often given as "heel-holder," and the customary meaning attached to James, and so to Hemi, is "supplanter."
Hemi Name History & Origins
Hēmi entered Māori use through Christian mission work in the early nineteenth century. Missionaries translated the Bible into Māori; the Māori New Testament was printed in 1837, and a complete Māori Bible followed in 1868. In those texts James appears as Hēmi, and biblical names were taken at baptism and used in daily life, so the name spread alongside other Māori forms of biblical names such as Hōne (John) and Mere (Mary).
Māori spelling marks long vowels with a macron, so Hēmi is the standard Māori form, while Hemi without the mark is usual in English-language writing. The name is still given in New Zealand, and it is sometimes paired with the English name James for the same person.
The spelling Hemi is also used for Chrysler's hemispherical-head engines, a mechanical term that has no connection to the personal name.
How Popular is the Name Hemi?
Hemi has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #5,752 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,383 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #10,540 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #10,685 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #14,131 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #12,639 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #14,443 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #12,036 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #12,181 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #10,401 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #13,597 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,349 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #17,777 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #16,128 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #18,647 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #7,926 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #5,752 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #6,606 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #6,456 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #7,192 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #6,548 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #10,051 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #7,784 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #9,161 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #9,087 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #9,100 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #8,409 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #6,745 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #7,256 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #7,909 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #5,889 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #9,482 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #10,446 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with H
Short Boy Names That Start with H
How the Name Hemi Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Hemi's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hemi's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.