Heather is a feminine given name of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "àthair", which means "father". The name Heather was popularized in England during the Victorian era due to the works of Sir Walter Scott, who often used it in his poems and novels. Today, Heather remains a popular choice for girls' names in both Scotland and other English-speaking countries around the world.
The name Heather has a fascinating history of popularity and usage in the United States, as indicated by the birth statistics from 1962 to 2007. The name first saw significant use in the early 1960s, with seven births recorded in 1962.
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Heather's popularity grew steadily. By 1974, it had reached its peak, with a total of 77 births that year. This trend continued until 1980, when the number of babies named Heather was 77 again.
However, after 1980, the popularity of the name started to decline. By 1990, only 24 babies were named Heather, and this number continued to decrease over the next decade, reaching a low of seven births in 1994.
Despite the decline in popularity, Heather remained in use throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, with a total of five births recorded in 2007. Overall, from 1962 to 2007, there were a total of 1477 babies named Heather born in the United States.
This data demonstrates how the popularity of names can change over time and offers insight into the trends and preferences of parents during these decades. Despite its fluctuations in popularity, Heather has remained a well-loved name for generations of Americans.