Total births
90,306
Girls' name · since 1880
Harriet
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 90,306 babies named Harriet, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1149
- among girls today
- 90,306
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Harriet currently ranks #1149 among girls' names in America, with 90,306 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Harriet recorded 90,306 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #1149 nationally today, ahead of 94% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1149 among girls today
- 90,306 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Harriet is currently the #1149 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 90,306 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1149
- among girls today
- 90,306
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Harriet vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1149
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Harriet was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
2,389 babies were named Harriet in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Harriet compares
90,306 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Harriet's all-time total is 236x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harriet | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 90,306 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,389 | 48 | 19,840 |
Harriet's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Harriet splits its recorded history at 1953: 14% of all births land in the more recent half, 86% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1993 (27 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 2,389 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Harriet at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,149
Active since
1880
Harriet popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 2,389
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Harriet popularity over time - boys
121 total births recorded since 1908 (Harriet as boys' name)
Harriet by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Harriet's strongest decade.
20,873 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Harriet births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,369
1880s
3,369 births
- 1890s 4,171
1890s
4,171 births
- 1900s 4,600
1900s
4,600 births
- 1910s
1910s
15,598 births
- 1920s
1920s
20,873 births
- 1930s
1930s
13,692 births
- 1940s
1940s
12,925 births
- 1950s 7,129
1950s
7,129 births
- 1960s 2,943
1960s
2,943 births
- 1970s 851
1970s
851 births
- 1980s 453
1980s
453 births
- 1990s 345
1990s
345 births
- 2000s 449
2000s
449 births
- 2010s 1,570
2010s
1,570 births
- 2020s 1,338
2020s
1,338 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 20,873 births (23% of all-time use).
How Harriet compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Harriet's total volume
Harriet vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Harriet by state
Where Harriet concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 12,937 | 14.3% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 6,968 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 5,279 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 3,496 | 3.9% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 3,268 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 3,234 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 2,856 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 2,667 | 3.0% |
New York share of Harriet's total US births 14.3%
Even split
12,937 of 90,306 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Harriet appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Harriet? ▼
90,306 babies have been named Harriet since 1880. It currently ranks #1149 among girls. The peak year was 1921 with 2,389 births.
When was Harriet most popular? ▼
Harriet was most popular in the 1920s decade with 20,873 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Harriet most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Harriet are New York (12,937 births), Pennsylvania (6,968 births), Illinois (5,279 births).
How long has the name Harriet been used? ▼
Harriet has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Harriet? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Harper, Harmony, Harley, Harriett, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Harriet's data
- Harriet's decade-level peak was the 1920s (20,873 total births); usage has since declined to 1,338 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Harriets (12,937 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Harriet
Nearby Names Like Harriet
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harriet
Harper Girl
#12 139,063 births
Harmony Girl
#264 36,226 births
Harley Girl
#396 31,167 births
Harriett Girl
#11124 21,621 births
Harlow Girl
#293 13,986 births
Compare Harriet side by side: Harriet vs Harper Harriet vs Harmony Harriet vs Harley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harriet
Jazlynn #1148
8,090 births · Peak 2011
Devyn #1150
9,422 births · Peak 2000
Farrah #1147
12,156 births · Peak 1977
Alitzel #1151
1,185 births · Peak 2023
Nathaly #1146
8,139 births · Peak 2007
Marian #1152
141,944 births · Peak 1924
Gaia #1145
2,434 births · Peak 2023
Angeline #1153
36,874 births · Peak 1921
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Harriet: #1149 Girls' Name - 90,306 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/harriet. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Harriet draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.