Harriet and Hattie

Harriet ~ Ruler of the Home ~ French, English

This name should be an enduring classic, a timeless star that shined steadily throughout the last century or two. Instead, America only embraced Harriet for a short time. There are finally some hints that we're warming up to this name, and I think a Victorian-style revival of the traditional names Harriet and Hattie is long overdue.

Hannah

Hannah ~ God has favored me with a child ~ Hebrew

Between its lovely, soft sound and its melt-our-hearts meaning, Hannah has become an American staple. I also love that this name happens to be a palindrome; perfect from beginning to end...and back again.

Harper

Updated August 2013

Harper ~ Harp Player ~ English

What's not to love about Harper? The sound is lovely, the meaning is nice, it's a surname, and it's got a contemporary-but-familiar feel. These qualities are making Harper a rising star. Most people are going to love the sound of it when they hear it.

The greatest association we have with this name is Harper Lee. A true American legend, Lee is known for writing To Kill A Mockingbird. She was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the novel, and received many other awards and honors as well. But Lee preferred to stay out of the spotlight, hardly ever granting interviews or giving speeches.

This means that the name Harper, while it does remind us of a famous author, doesn't have a strong cultural stereotype. It's pretty much a clean slate. I think Harper will age well, meaning it sounds like a great name for a cute little girl as well as a grown woman. When you add it all up, this name has a lot going for it.

• Harper is now in the top 25 names for girls!
• Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and wife named their 2nd daughter Harper Willow.
• Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks named her daughter Harper, born July 25th.
• Well-known people with this surname include: Ben Harper, Stephen Harper, and Hill Harper.
• Harper is the name of towns in Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.

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Henry

Henry ~ Ruler of the home ~ German

Dignified. Historic. Royal. The name Henry couldn't get higher status if it wanted to. Eight kings of England and more than 10 kings of other European countries have borne this name, as have many other royal figures (including 16 Bavarian dukes alone). The name seemed destined for greatness from the very beginning, as the meaning is a combination of german words meaning "rule" and "home".

Even with all its noble qualities, Henry began taking a plunge in popularity in 1920. In particular, the 60s–the 90s was the worst period this name had seen, when parents were looking for down-to-earth and contemporary names like Brian or Eric. Henry seemed like the name of an elderly professor, and society needed names to match female counterparts like Kimberly and Michelle.

But among several other trends, the past decade has seen the use of old-fashioned names, particularly from colonial and frontier eras of American history. And Henry fits right in, with the earliest records showing it was ranked at number nine in 1880. As a result, the past 10 years has brought new life to the name, and it has risen in the charts by 45 places.

Today Henry seems a little less like the name of an old professor, and a little more like the name of a dashing prince. Its previous decline in use means the slate has been wiped just a little bit cleaner. The old-fashioned feel it has adds to its appeal, while we've come to discover we actually don't know any professors named Henry.

• Henry is ranked at 33 for 2014. It still hasn't reached its peak!
• Variations
• Enrique
• Hal
• Hale
• Hank
• Harry
• Hendrik
• Heinrich
• Henri
• Feminine forms:
• America
• Hallie
• Hattie
• Harriet
• Henna
• Henrietta
• Famous Henrys include: Henry James, Henry Hudson, Henry David Thoreau & Henry Ford
• Henry is the name of Julia Roberts' son, born in 2007