Heather
Girl name · #1266 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Heather? In official American birth records, Heather has been tracked continuously since 1914, giving it 111 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Heather is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Heather will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Heather is most common
Geography matters for names, and Heather is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Heather is most common in CA (0.1 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Heather is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Heather?
In official American birth records, the name Heather first appeared in 1914 (over 111 years ago), when 8 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 111 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.