The first name Heather
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ˈhɛðɚ/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From heather; the given name is one of the plant names taken up in the 19th century. The surname is habitational, also meaning someone living on a heath.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 46 girls were named Heather, making it the 792nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 713 births (#78).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Heather with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Heather at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 177 girls born in the United States were named Heather, the 1,264th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1975, when 24,301 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Heather in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Heather
77 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Heather GrahamAmerican actress, born 1970
- Heather LocklearAmerican actress (born 1961)
- Heather MorrisAmerican actress, dancer, singer, and model, born 1987
- Heather O'RourkeAmerican actress (1975–1988)
- Heather LangenkampAmerican actress, born 1964
- Heather WatsonBritish female tennis player, born 1992
- Heather MillsFormer glamour model, activist, born 1968
- Heather MatarazzoAmerican actress, born 1982
- Heather O'ReillyAmerican soccer player, born 1985
- Heather MenziesCanadian actress (1949-2017)
- Heather NauertAmerican broadcast journalist and former government official, born 1970
- Heather MittsAmerican soccer player, born 1978
Questions
- What does the name Heather mean?
- From heather; the given name is one of the plant names taken up in the 19th century. The surname is habitational, also meaning someone living on a heath.
- How popular is the name Heather?
- In 2025, 46 girls born in England and Wales were named Heather, ranking 792nd. Its peak was 1996, with 713 births.
- Is Heather a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 527,387 US babies named Heather since 1880 were girls.
- When was Heather most popular?
- 1975 in the United States, when 24,301 babies were named Heather, its highest rank at 3rd.
- How do you pronounce Heather?
- Heather is /ˈhɛðɚ/, 2 syllables.
- Is Heather also a surname?
- Yes. Heather is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.