Girl's name
Harriet
Say it HAIR-ee-ut
Roots in English, French and Germanic 3 syllables
Where Harriet is loved, common and rare
Common across England and Wales and five more places. Rare in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Sweden and five more places.
1 in 335 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
England and Wales 59thScotland 140thNorthern Ireland 177th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 14 of the 40 official lists, among them England and Wales (59th), Scotland (140th) and Northern Ireland (177th).
Show all 14 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria state | 53rd 2025 | 115 | rank only |
| New Zealand | 56th 2025 | 62 | rank only |
| England and Wales | 59th 2025 | 757 | 1 in 335 |
| South Australia state | 61st 2025 | 26 | rank only |
| Queensland state | 81st 2025 | 60 | rank only |
| New South Wales state | 91st 2025 | 78 | rank only |
| Scotland | 140th 2025 | 31 | 1 in 577 |
| Northern Ireland | 177th 2025 | 10 | 1 in 729 |
| Sweden | 207th 2025 | 40 | about 1 in 1,004 |
| Ireland | 226th 2025 | 19 | 1 in 1,112 |
| Norway | 287th 2025 | 13 | 1 in 1,677 |
| British Columbia province | 592nd 2023 | 5 | about 1 in 2,392 |
| Ontario province | 867th 2024 | 13 | about 1 in 4,190 |
| France | 3366th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 57,359 |
Rare, below the listed names: Quebec, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Sources: Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France). How we count, and every source
About the name
Harriet is the English form of the French Henriette, the feminine of Henri, which is Henry in English. Behind Henry lies a Germanic name, so Harriet has a long European history, and it was popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries. No separate meaning is attested for Harriet itself.
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Said HAIR-ee-ut, it has three syllables with the stress at the start. Hattie and Hallie are related pet forms, while Henrietta and Henriette are its more formal relatives and Harriett is an alternative spelling.
Harriet is still a solid choice in the English-speaking world. It ranks among the more popular girls' names in Victoria, New Zealand, and England and Wales, and it is also used in Sweden and Norway. In Canada it belongs mainly to the early twentieth century, and today it is falling in more places than it is rising, though it remains well known.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- HAIR-ee-ut, 3 syllables
- Origin
- English, French and Germanic
- Other spellings
- Hallie
- Henriette
- Hattie
- Henrietta
- Harrieth
- Henriet
- Harriett
- Enriqueta
Etymology
Anglicized form of French Henriette, feminine of Henri (Henry); popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ultimately from Germanic.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 2 of 13 regions, falling in 5.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 49 | 51 | 45 | 49 | 55 | 63 | 65 | 62 | 68 | 59 |
| Scotland | 223 | 146 | 134 | 117 | 139 | 177 | 133 | 133 | 152 | 140 |
| Northern Ireland | 159 | 122 | 145 | 107 | 228 | 237 | 162 | 193 | 150 | 177 |
| Ireland | 359 | 260 | 235 | 271 | 229 | 363 | 357 | 212 | 275 | 226 |
| Ontario | 796 | 599 | 656 | 448 | 542 | 419 | 738 | 587 | 867 | |
| British Columbia | 345 | 679 | 345 | 409 | 358 | 398 | 381 | 592 | ||
| New South Wales | 79 | 64 | 74 | 65 | 62 | 64 | 65 | 69 | 66 | 91 |
| Victoria | 56 | 42 | 42 | 53 | 52 | 54 | 58 | 54 | 55 | 53 |
| Queensland | 75 | 86 | 58 | 54 | 55 | 61 | 62 | 64 | 65 | 81 |
| South Australia | 48 | 53 | 40 | 31 | 36 | 50 | 46 | 52 | 32 | 61 |
| New Zealand | 66 | 81 | 63 | 71 | 53 | 61 | 51 | 82 | 51 | 56 |
| France | 3634 | 3605 | 3650 | 3521 | 3366 | |||||
| Norway | 469 | 461 | 346 | 326 | 368 | 303 | 292 | 251 | 314 | 287 |
| Sweden | 292 | 271 | 230 | 216 | 248 | 221 | 255 | 232 | 226 | 207 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | 757 | 298.9 |
| 2024 | 68 | 667 | 258.5 |
| 2023 | 62 | 723 | 281.8 |
| 2022 | 65 | 764 | 289.9 |
| 2021 | 63 | 810 | 295.6 |
| 2020 | 55 | 882 | 328.6 |
| 2019 | 49 | 1,021 | 364.6 |
| 2018 | 45 | 1,128 | 391.3 |
| 2017 | 51 | 1,053 | 352.1 |
| 2016 | 49 | 1,132 | 368.6 |
| 2015 | 56 | 1,089 | 353.6 |
| 2014 | 61 | 1,016 | 331.3 |
| 2013 | 61 | 1,001 | 324.5 |
| 2012 | 67 | 904 | 280.7 |
| 2011 | 71 | 809 | 251.8 |
| 2010 | 86 | 702 | 218.7 |
| 2009 | 89 | 690 | 220.2 |
| 2008 | 82 | 749 | 237.2 |
| 2007 | 73 | 821 | 268.2 |
| 2006 | 82 | 720 | 240.6 |
| 2005 | 73 | 711 | 246.7 |
| 2004 | 77 | 657 | 229.8 |
| 2003 | 79 | 645 | 231.5 |
| 2002 | 73 | 718 | 268.5 |
| 2001 | 70 | 733 | 273.5 |
| 2000 | 62 | 801 | 293.2 |
| 1999 | 59 | 845 | 300.0 |
| 1998 | 56 | 944 | 326.4 |
| 1997 | 59 | 1,000 | 341.1 |
| 1996 | 60 | 1,046 | 353.4 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Harriet in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1951. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1925, at 96.7 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Harriet per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 1925 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Harriet
1 in 284 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 160 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 326 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 162 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 166 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 142 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 293 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 511 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Harriet.
1 in 459 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Harriet.
Middle names for Harriet
1 in 71 in Scotland
Harriet Olivia
3-4 beats · initials HO
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Harriet Charlotte
3-2 beats · initials HC
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Harriet Sophie
3-2 beats · initials HS
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Harriet Grace
3-1 beats · initials HG
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Harriet Anna
3-2 beats · initials HA
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 154 in Ireland
Harriet Emma
3-2 beats · initials HE
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 197 in Ireland
Harriet Alice
3-2 beats · initials HA
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 88 in Scotland
Harriet Amelia
3-4 beats · initials HA
Changes the beat after Harriet: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
Same style as Harriet
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 142 in England and Wales
93% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 239 in England and Wales
91% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 365 in Scotland
91% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 284 in England and Wales
91% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
90% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 142 in Scotland
90% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
90% alike: moves with Harriet across countries and decades.
Famous people named Harriet
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Martineau, Harriet Taylor Mill, Harriet Lane, Harriet Quimby, Harriet Harman and Harriet Andersson.
Show all 8Show less
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American abolitionist and author (1811–1896)
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African-American abolitionist (1822–1913) 1820 to 1913
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English writer and sociologist (1802–1876)
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British philosopher (1807–1858)
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First Lady of the United States from 1857 to 1861 1830 to 1903
-
American aviator, screenwriter (1875-1912)
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British politician (born 1950)
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Swedish actress (born 1932)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Harriet
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Harriet?
Her best rank is No. 53 in Victoria in 2025. She is in the published lists of 14 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Harriet?
HAIR-ee-ut, with 3 syllables.
Is Harriet getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 2 of 13 regions, falling in 5.
Which sister names go with Harriet?
The deck's top five sisters for Harriet: Olive, Bonnie, Eleanor, Evelyn and Mabel. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.