Girl name · English
Heather
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: heather plantHeather is a girl's name that comes from English and means "heather plant". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Heather plant
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1264 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Heather
As a girl's name, Heather comes from English and means "heather plant". It is used in English and Scottish.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Heather on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Heather on 6 lists.
“English word name for the pink or white moorland shrub”
From Flower names for girls, girl flower names from the garden
“Moorland flower behind a dark, rich honey”
From Bee names, flower and garden names for bees
“A hardy purple moorland plant, for a tough little girl”
From Female cat names, flower names for girl cats
“Purple moorland shrub; English. Mid-century favorite”
From Girl middle names, flower and nature middle names
“The purple flower that covers Highland hills”
From Highland cattle names, scottish words that make great Highland cow names
“The purple moorland plant, an emblem of the Scottish hills.”
From Scottish girl names, scots and anglicized Scottish girl names
How popular is Heather?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,264
- 177 babies, 110 per million girls
- Best rank
- #3 in 1975
- 24,301 babies that year
- Babies since 1914
- At least 525,910
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 2 per million |
| 1920s | 2 per million |
| 1930s | 41 per million |
| 1940s | 127 per million |
| 1950s | 289 per million |
| 1960s | 1,791 per million |
| 1970s | 13,196 per million |
| 1980s | 11,170 per million |
| 1990s | 3,978 per million |
| 2000s | 757 per million |
| 2010s | 168 per million |
| 2020s | 105 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #977 | #1,126 | #1,152 | #1,387 | #1,443 | #1,307 | #1,304 | #1,326 | #1,345 | #1,264 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Heather
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HesterLatin form of Esther (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- LinusFlax plant (Greek, boy)
- FernLeafy woodland plant (Old English, girl)
- FundaHeather (Turkish, girl)
- GaranceMadder plant, used for red dye (French, girl)
- HadleyHeather field (Old English, unisex)
- IvyIvy plant (Old English, girl)
- MyrtoMyrtle plant (Greek, girl)
- NetaPlant, sapling (Hebrew, unisex)
- RotemA desert broom plant (Hebrew, unisex)
Middle names for Heather
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AmberAmber, golden fossil resin (Arabic, girl)
- AoifeBeauty, radiance (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- GraceGrace, divine favor (Latin, girl)
- JaneGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JoanGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JuneSixth month, named for Juno (Latin, girl)
- RuthFriend (Hebrew, girl)
More girl names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
Heather: common questions
What does the name Heather mean?
Heather comes from English and means "heather plant".
Is Heather a boy or girl name?
Heather is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Heather come from?
Heather comes from English and means "heather plant". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Heather?
Heather ranked #1,264 in the US in 2025, with 177 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Heather?
Names spelled like Heather include Hester.
What middle names go with Heather?
Middle names that flow well with Heather include Amber, Aoife, Blair, Grace and Jane. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.