Heather

At a Glance: Name: Heather – Meaning: the heather plant (a flowering heath shrub) – Origin: English (from Middle English hather) – Gender: used for both boys and girls – Pronunciation: HETH-er

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Heather is an English name, drawn from the Middle English word hather — the flowering heath shrub also called heather. It's a nature name in the most literal sense: no borrowed meaning, no symbolism layered on, just the plant itself. If you like the idea of naming your daughter after something you could actually walk through on a hillside, this is that name.

Meaning & Origin of Heather

Meaning: The heather plant (a flowering heath shrub).

Origin: English (from Middle English hather).

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Heather

Phonetic: HETH-er   IPA: /ˈhɛðər/

Popularity of Heather

Heather peaked at #3 in the U.S. in 1975, when 24,302 baby girls got the name. By 2024 it had dropped to #1352, with only 168 Heathers born that year.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1914–2024.

Make Heather Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Heather, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Sonia
• Farah
• Ayesha
• Tyrone
• Jenny
• Rhiannon

FAQ

What does the name Heather mean?

The heather plant (a flowering heath shrub). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Heather)

How do you pronounce Heather?

Heather is pronounced HETH-er (IPA: /ˈhɛðər/).

Is Heather a popular name right now?

Heather peaked at #3 in 1975 and is ranked #1352 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1914–2024.)

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