Harriet

English feminine variation of Henry, German, "estate ruler"

On June 12, 1802, Harriet Martineau was born, becoming a groundbreaking sociologist, feminist, and writer often called the first female sociologist. Harriet is a polarizing girls’ name: Some see it as dowdy and old-fashioned, while others view it as an antique name ripe for revival. In fact, it was one of the few names that my Nameberry cofounder Linda and I disagreed on, with Linda in the anti-Harriet camp and me firmly pro.

Trending downward for more than a century, Harriet fell off the Top 1000 completely in 2020. Today, adorable short form Hattie is much more popular, ranking Number 382 in the US and 156 in England. In our analysis of the Reddest and Bluest Baby Names, Hattie was the reddest girls’ name.