Heather is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Heather means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Heather across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Heather has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Heather is a girl name of English origin meaning “the flowering plant heather”. one of the botanical names popular from the 19th century.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 527,387 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 5,507 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 7,056 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 82 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,826 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 4,351 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Heather per year, United States (1914 to 2025). United States peaked in 1975 (24,366/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (713/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (262/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2006 (63/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (11/yr).
Heather has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1975, when it ranked #13 nationally (given to 24,646 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Hether · Heathr · Heathre · Hather · Haether · Heathyr
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