Henrietta

Meaning: Ruler of the home
Origin: Variant of Henry (from Germanic (Proto-Germanic *Haimarīks, via French Henriette))

Nicknames: Etta, Hettie, Henny, Hetty

Girl's name · #2666 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Henrietta was #105 in 1892, slipped to #12247 by 2005, and has climbed back to #2666 today. Roughly 51,000 girls have been named Henrietta since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Henrietta is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 6 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Henrietta ranks in other countries and regions.

#481 in England & Wales (2025).

Famous Henriettas

Henrietta Swan Leavitt — American astronomer and human calculator (1868–1921)
Henrietta Maria of France — Queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I
Henrietta Lacks — American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line (1920–1951)
Henrietta of England — English princess, duchesse of Orléans (1644–1670)
Henrietta Szold — American Zionist (1860–1945)

In stories & tradition

Henrietta Lange — NCIS: Los Angeles (TV series)
Henrietta Penrose^id — 86 (novel series)
Henrietta^it — Gunslinger Girl (manga)

What Henriettas become

Among 257 notable people named Henrietta:

Artists & writers appear 2.16× more often than among typical names — e.g. Henrietta Rae, English painter (1859–1928).

Spellings & nicknames

About 270 girls a year are given Etta as their full name and 56 Henny.

Similar names: Henny · Ollie · Hensley · Delta · Lou · Golda

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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