Harriet is a feminine given name of English origin. It is derived from the German name Henry, which is composed of the elements "heim" meaning "home" and "ric" meaning "power". Therefore, Harriet means "home ruler" or "estate ruler".
The name Harriet first appeared in England during the Middle Ages as a diminutive form of Henry. It was originally used for boys, but over time it became more commonly used for girls.
Harriet has been a popular name throughout history. In the 19th century, some famous Harriets include Harriet Beecher Stowe, an American abolitionist and author of the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and Harriet Martineau, a British sociologist and writer. More recently, Harriet Tubman, an African-American abolitionist and spy during the American Civil War, has become a prominent figure in American history.
Despite its popularity throughout history, Harriet is not currently among the most popular names for girls in English-speaking countries. According to data from the Social Security Administration, Harriet ranked #916 in the United States in 2020.
Overall, Harriet is a historic and meaningful name with a unique origin story that has been carried by notable figures throughout history.
The given statistics show the number of newborn girls named Harriett annually from 1880 to 2023. The peak years for this name were around World War I, with a high of 564 births in 1918. However, there has been a significant decline since the mid-20th century; as of 2022, there were only 14 births named Harriett. In total, over the course of 143 years, there have been 21,596 newborn girls named Harriett.