Harriet

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine first name of English origin, often shortened to Hattie or Hatty in everyday use
2. A girl's or woman's given name derived from Henry, commonly used in English-speaking countries
3. A female personal name of English origin, historically popular and related to the masculine name Henry

Etymology: "Harriet" is a feminine given name, and the word has no life beyond that. It is an anglicized form of the French "Henriette," itself the feminine of "Henri," the French equivalent of "Henry." The name took the English form and spread widely, becoming especially popular in England during the 18th and 19th centuries. The chain runs from a masculine name meaning "ruler of the home" in Germanic origin, through French, into English, where a shortened English spelling made it look native. Its popularity in England in those two centuries is the main reason so many people of that period bear it.