Heather
From heather; the given name is one of the plant names taken up in the 19th century.
Every Heather since 1914 — 527,387 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Heather
Heather is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,264 in 2025 with 177 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1914, 527,387 American babies have been named Heather. Its peak came in 1975, when 24,366 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1970s.
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 Heather stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Heather 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 | 177 | #1,264 | — | — |
| 2024 | 170 | #1,345 | — | — |
| 2023 | 171 | #1,326 | — | — |
| 2022 | 181 | #1,304 | — | — |
| 2021 | 173 | #1,307 | — | — |
| 2020 | 151 | #1,443 | — | — |
| 2019 | 162 | #1,387 | — | — |
| 2018 | 211 | #1,152 | — | — |
| 2017 | 223 | #1,126 | — | — |
| 2016 | 275 | #977 | — | — |
| 2015 | 281 | #965 | — | — |
| 2014 | 331 | #837 | — | — |
| 2013 | 316 | #835 | — | — |
| 2012 | 330 | #812 | — | — |
| 2011 | 391 | #711 | — | — |
| 2010 | 421 | #682 | — | — |
| 2009 | 555 | #548 | — | — |
| 2008 | 654 | #484 | — | — |
| 2007 | 799 | #408 | 5 | #13,045 |
| 2006 | 974 | #339 | — | — |
| 2005 | 1,067 | #300 | — | — |
| 2004 | 1,304 | #244 | — | — |
| 2003 | 1,617 | #206 | — | — |
| 2002 | 2,068 | #159 | — | — |
| 2001 | 2,274 | #146 | — | — |
| 2000 | 2,684 | #125 | — | — |
| 1995 | 6,032 | #54 | 15 | #4,128 |
| 1990 | 14,220 | #19 | 24 | #2,730 |
| 1985 | 21,151 | #8 | 70 | #1,113 |
| 1980 | 19,973 | #6 | 77 | #1,032 |
| 1975 | 24,301 | #3 | 65 | #1,024 |
| 1970 | 14,669 | #19 | 43 | #1,270 |
| 1965 | 2,498 | #150 | 7 | #3,375 |
| 1960 | 971 | #298 | — | — |
| 1955 | 616 | #347 | — | — |
| 1950 | 310 | #461 | — | — |
| 1945 | 175 | #554 | — | — |
| 1940 | 106 | #673 | — | — |
| 1935 | 63 | #870 | — | — |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,477 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,302 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Heather
- Heather Locklear Actor · b. 1961
- Heather Graham Actor · b. 1970
- Heather Menzies Actor · 1949–2017
- Heather Langenkamp Actor · b. 1964
- Heather Harper Singer · 1930–2019
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Heather mean?
From heather; the given name is one of the plant names taken up in the 19th century.
How popular is the name Heather in 2025?
Heather ranked #1,264 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 177 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Heather?
527,387 babies have been named Heather in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Heather most popular?
Heather peaked in 1975, when 24,366 newborns received the name.
Is Heather a boy or girl name?
Heather is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Heather rising or falling?
Heather is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Heather?
Well-known people named Heather include Heather Locklear (actor), Heather Graham (actor), Heather Menzies (actor).