girls' name ★ peaked 1921

Harriet

Meaning Henry Gender Girl Rank 2025 #1,073 Trend → Stable

Anglicized form of French Henriette, feminine form of Henri (“Henry”), popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Rank 2025
#1,073
among girls · ↑78 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
226
named Harriet · +8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,112
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1921
2,395 babies
All-time total
90,427
#403 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Harriet popularity over time

90,427 babies have been named Harriet since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
123418801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 3,369 – 3,369 337 – #73
1890s 4,171 – 4,171 417 +24% #102
1900s 4,600 10 4,610 461 +11% #123
1910s 15,598 8 15,606 1,561 +239% #104
1920s 20,873 54 20,927 2,093 +34% #112
1930s 13,692 26 13,718 1,372 -34% #138
1940s 12,925 18 12,943 1,294 -6% #157
1950s 7,129 5 7,134 713 -45% #246
1960s 2,943 – 2,943 294 -59% #451
1970s 851 – 851 85 -71% #819
1980s 453 – 453 45 -47% #1,792
1990s 345 – 345 35 -24% #2,841
2000s 449 – 449 45 +30% #2,865
2010s 1,570 – 1,570 157 +250% #991
2020s (to 2025) 1,338 – 1,338 223 +42% #1,056

Where Harriet is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 223 0.14 outside top 500
2027 220 0.14 outside top 500
2028 218 0.14 outside top 500
2029 216 0.13 outside top 500
2030 214 0.13 outside top 500

Where Harriet is most popular

Girls named Harriet per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.137 per 1,000. Strongest in Vermont, Minnesota, and District of Columbia.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Harriet born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Vermont 5 1.03 +655%
Minnesota 96 0.890 +551%
District of Columbia 6 0.506 +271%
Colorado 40 0.358 +162%
Maine 5 0.323 +137%
Massachusetts 39 0.323 +136%
Washington 39 0.270 +98%
Wisconsin 27 0.262 +92%
New York 93 0.235 +72%
North Carolina 47 0.206 +51%
South Carolina 16 0.178 +30%
Virginia 30 0.176 +29%
Illinois 39 0.170 +25%
Pennsylvania 39 0.165 +21%
Michigan 30 0.165 +21%
Maryland 17 0.160 +17%
Missouri 19 0.158 +15%
Ohio 26 0.110 -20%
Oregon 7 0.108 -21%
Indiana 14 0.100 -27%
Georgia 21 0.092 -32%
California 74 0.088 -36%
Connecticut 5 0.086 -37%
Iowa 5 0.086 -37%
Texas 59 0.073 -46%
Tennessee 6 0.038 -72%
Florida 13 0.030 -78%
New Jersey 5 0.028 -80%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Harriet

Harriet is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,073 in 2025 with 226 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 90,427 American babies have been named Harriet. Its peak came in 1921, when 2,395 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Harriet stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Harriet?

The median living Harriet is about 75 years old; half are between 63 and 83. An estimated 26 thousand people named Harriet are alive in the United States today.

median 75 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Harriet year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 226 #1,073 – –
2024 210 #1,151 – –
2023 215 #1,131 – –
2022 218 #1,129 – –
2021 239 #1,056 – –
2020 230 #1,076 – –
2019 261 #991 – –
2018 248 #1,040 – –
2017 211 #1,169 – –
2016 175 #1,356 – –
2015 182 #1,307 – –
2014 132 #1,627 – –
2013 129 #1,649 – –
2012 89 #2,136 – –
2011 87 #2,178 – –
2010 56 #3,020 – –
2009 55 #3,106 – –
2008 36 #4,304 – –
2007 61 #2,944 – –
2006 61 #2,865 – –
2005 44 #3,424 – –
2004 31 #4,427 – –
2003 43 #3,378 – –
2002 38 #3,543 – –
2001 43 #3,216 – –
2000 37 #3,546 – –
1995 36 #3,171 – –
1990 35 #3,177 – –
1985 46 #2,232 – –
1980 57 #1,891 – –
1975 76 #1,386 – –
1970 169 #819 – –
1965 290 #559 – –
1960 470 #451 – –
1955 693 #327 – –
1950 934 #246 – –
1945 1,175 #176 – –
1940 1,363 #157 – –
1935 1,294 #157 – –
1930 1,598 #138 8 #3,136
1925 2,067 #131 – –
1920 2,360 #112 – –
1915 1,849 #112 – –
1910 637 #126 – –
1905 413 #144 – –
1900 461 #134 – –
1895 435 #113 – –
1890 399 #102 – –
1885 342 #89 – –
1880 319 #73 – –

Famous people named Harriet

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman American abolitionist (1822–1913) 1820–1913 · 19th century
  2. 2 Harriet Walter Harriet Walter English actress (born 1950) Contemporary
  3. 3 Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau English writer and sociologist (1802–1876) 19th century
  4. 4 Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Beecher Stowe American abolitionist and author (1811-1896) 19th century
  5. 5 Harriet Harman Harriet Harman British politician (born 1950) Contemporary
  6. 6 Harriet Quimby Harriet Quimby American aviation pioneer (1875–1912) 19th century
  7. 7 Harriet Lane Harriet Lane First Lady of the United States from 1857 to 1861 1830–1903 · 19th century
  8. 8 Harriet Miers Harriet Miers American lawyer and Supreme Court nominee (born 1945) Contemporary
  9. 9 Harriet Andersson Harriet Andersson Swedish actress (born 1932) Contemporary
  10. 10 Harriet Taylor Mill Harriet Taylor Mill English writer, philosopher, and women's rights advocate (1807–1858) 19th century
  11. 11 Harriet Backer Harriet Backer Norwegian artist (1845–1932) 19th century
  12. 12 Harriet Brooks Harriet Brooks Canadian nuclear physicist (1876–1933) 19th century
  13. 13 Harriet Bosse Harriet Bosse Swedish–Norwegian actress (1878–1961) 19th century
  14. 14 Harriet Bland Harriet Bland American sprinter (1915–1991) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Harriet, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Harriet?

The median living Harriet is about 75 years old. Half of all living Harriets are between 63 and 83 years old.

How many people named Harriet are alive today?

An estimated 26 thousand people named Harriet are alive in the United States, based on 90,427 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Harriet mean?

Anglicized form of French Henriette, feminine form of Henri (“Henry”), popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries.

How popular is the name Harriet in 2025?

Harriet ranked #1,073 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 226 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Harriet?

90,427 babies have been named Harriet in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Harriet most popular?

Harriet peaked in 1921, when 2,395 newborns received the name.

Is Harriet a boy or girl name?

Harriet is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Harriet rising or falling?

Harriet is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Harriet become more popular?

Harriet looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 214 girls named Harriet in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Harriet?

Well-known people named Harriet include Harriet Tubman (writer), Harriet Walter (actor), Harriet Martineau (economist).

Names like Harriet

Names that sound and feel close to Harriet: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Harriet with similar names → More names starting with H →