girl's name
Hattie
HAT-ee
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 109,932
the United States
#334
2025 births
Hattie is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "home ruler." It is a pet form of Harriet, which is the English feminine of Henry, so it carries the same meaning as Harry and Henrietta.
- Hattie is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 2,006 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 3,592 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Hattie over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. 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 | 10,216 |
| 1890s | 12,981 |
| 1900s | 11,777 |
| 1910s | 16,487 |
| 1920s | 16,473 |
| 1930s | 10,329 |
| 1940s | 7,900 |
| 1950s | 4,466 |
| 1960s | 1,783 |
| 1970s | 778 |
| 1980s | 645 |
| 1990s | 792 |
| 2000s | 1,272 |
| 2010s | 5,073 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,719 |
What Hattie means
Hattie means ruler of the household, inherited from Harriet and ultimately Henry. The elements are heim, home or estate, and ric, ruler — an unusually concrete meaning for a name that reads as decorative.
Where Hattie comes from
Hattie shortens Harriet, the English form of the French Henriette, feminine of Henri, from the Germanic Heimirich — heim, home, and ric, ruler. It was a common American familiar form in the nineteenth century: Hattie McDaniel, born 1893, became the first Black performer to win an Academy Award, for Gone with the Wind in 1940. In Britain the name faded almost entirely through the mid-twentieth century and has returned as part of the same Victorian pet-form revival as Nellie, Lottie, Etta and Maisie.
Hattie in use
Our data marks Hattie as reviving, peaking in 1918, at 153 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. Harriet, its parent name, sits at 59 in England and Wales — one of the few cases in this cluster where the full name still outranks the diminutive.
How popular is Hattie?
In 2025, Hattie was given to 923 babies in the United States, ranking #334 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Hattie is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Hattie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Hattie also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hattie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Hattie 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.
- Dutch
- Henrietta
Sibling names for Hattie
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Hattie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Hattie
What does the name Hattie mean?
Hattie means "home ruler," from the Germanic heim, home, and ric, ruler, by way of Harriet.
Is Hattie short for Harriet?
Traditionally yes, and it also shortens Henrietta. It is now widely registered as a full name in Britain.
Who was Hattie McDaniel?
The first Black performer to win an Academy Award, for Gone with the Wind in 1940.
How popular is the name Hattie?
In 2025, Hattie was given to 923 babies in the United States, ranking #334 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Hattie a girl's or a boy's name?
Hattie is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Hattie?
Hattie has 2 syllables.
When was Hattie most popular?
Hattie peaked in 1918, when 2,006 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Hattie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hattie currently ranks #153 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s 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.