girl's name
Harriet
HA-ree-ət
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 117,982
England and Wales
#59
2025 births
Harriet is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "home ruler." It is the English feminine of Henry, by way of the French Henriette, and carries the same meaning as Harry and Henrietta.
- Harriet is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1921, when 2,395 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in US records.
- Today about 1 in 696 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Harriet over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Harriet is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,369 |
| 1890s | 4,171 |
| 1900s | 4,610 |
| 1910s | 15,606 |
| 1920s | 20,927 |
| 1930s | 13,718 |
| 1940s | 12,943 |
| 1950s | 7,134 |
| 1960s | 2,943 |
| 1970s | 851 |
| 1980s | 453 |
| 1990s | 345 |
| 2000s | 449 |
| 2010s | 1,570 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,338 |
What Harriet means
Harriet means ruler of the household or estate, inherited from Henry. The elements are heim, home, and ric, ruler — an unusually concrete meaning for a name that reads as decorative.
Where Harriet comes from
Harriet anglicizes the French Henriette, the feminine diminutive of Henri, from the Germanic Heimirich — heim, home, and ric, ruler. It entered English use in the seventeenth century and was fashionable through the Georgian period. Its two most significant bearers gave it a distinctly reformist weight: Harriet Tubman, born into slavery around 1822, led dozens of people to freedom on the Underground Railroad, and Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852. Harriet Martineau, writing at the same time, is often called the first female sociologist.
Harriet in use
Our data marks Harriet as reviving, peaking in 1921, now at 59 in England and Wales against 1,071 in the United States. That eighteen-fold gap is striking given that its most famous bearers are American — the name's revival has been entirely British.
How popular is Harriet?
In 2025, Harriet was given to 757 babies in England and Wales, ranking #59 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Harriet is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Harriet
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Harriet also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Harriet over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
8 nicknames for Harriet
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Harriet in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Harriette
Sibling names for Harriet
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Harriet — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Harriet
What does the name Harriet mean?
Harriet means "home ruler," from the Germanic heim, home, and ric, ruler — the same meaning as Henry.
Is Harriet the female version of Henry?
Yes, by way of the French Henriette. Henrietta is the other English feminine of the same name.
Is Harriet more popular in Britain?
Considerably — 59 in England and Wales against 1,071 in the United States, despite its best-known bearers being American.
Is Harriet a girl's or a boy's name?
Harriet is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Harriet?
Harriet has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Harriet?
Harriet is usually shortened to Hattie, Hettie, Harry, Harri, Etta and Ettie.
Is Harriet a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Harriet currently ranks #59 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.