Heather
Girl name · #1266 in 2025 · Uniqueness 59/100
Heather ranks #1266 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 177 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #964, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,169 girls born in 2025 was named Heather.
Babies named Heather per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 111-year story
Heather first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1975, when 24,301 girls were named Heather — good for #3 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Heather against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Heather in class?
Heather scores 59 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Heather is most common
Geography matters for names, and Heather is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Heathers were CA (23), TX (16), FL (10), NY (9), PA (9). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Heather
Statistically, parents drawn to Heather tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jennifer, Tabitha, Jenny, Crystal, and Charity.
JenniferTabithaJennyCrystalCharityAimeeLeticiaHollie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Heather | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 177 | #1261 |
| 2024 | 170 | #1341 |
| 2023 | 171 | #1324 |
| 2022 | 181 | #1304 |
| 2021 | 173 | #1304 |
| 2020 | 151 | #1442 |
| 2019 | 162 | #1383 |
| 2018 | 211 | #1150 |
| 2017 | 223 | #1124 |
| 2016 | 275 | #975 |
| 2015 | 281 | #964 |
| 2014 | 331 | #836 |
| 2013 | 316 | #835 |
| 2012 | 330 | #811 |
| 2011 | 391 | #710 |
| 2010 | 421 | #681 |
| 2009 | 555 | #548 |
| 2008 | 654 | #483 |
| 2007 | 799 | #408 |
| 2006 | 974 | #339 |
| 2005 | 1,067 | #300 |
| 2004 | 1,304 | #244 |
| 2003 | 1,617 | #206 |
| 2002 | 2,068 | #159 |
| 2001 | 2,274 | #146 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Heather a popular girl name?
Heather ranked #1266 among girls in 2025 with 177 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #964.
When was the name Heather most popular?
Heather peaked in 1975, when 24,301 American girls received the name (ranked #3 that year). Since 1975 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Heather?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,169 newborn American girls was named Heather. It scores 59/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.