Hattye
An uncommon feminine name of Old English origin meaning "hut-dweller".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Hattye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hattye today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hattye births was 1915 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hattye. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hattye is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hattyes were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hattye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1915
13 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1942 SSA rank
#4,314
Tracked since 1895
Popularity
Hattye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hattye from the 1890s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 55 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hattye by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hattye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hattye
The name Hattye is a variant spelling of the English name Hattie, which is a diminutive form of the medieval name Harriet. The origins of Harriet can be traced back to the French name Henri, derived from the Germanic name Haimric, which means "home ruler." This Germanic name was later introduced to England by the Normans during the 11th century.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hattie dates back to the late 18th century in England, where it was initially a pet form of Harriet. One of the earliest known bearers of the name Hattye was Hattye Winstead, born in 1865 in North Carolina, United States. She was a notable educator and community leader in her local area.
In the 19th century, the name Hattye gained popularity in the Southern United States, particularly among African American families. One notable figure with this name was Hattye Clarissa McCully (1872-1942), an African American educator and humanitarian from Georgia who established several schools for Black children in the South.
Another historical figure with the name Hattye was Hattye Elizabeth King (1890-1966), an American suffragist and civil rights activist from Ohio. She was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement and worked tirelessly to promote voting rights for women and racial equality.
In the early 20th century, Hattye Thomas Tanner (1898-1984) was a renowned African American artist and educator from Georgia. She was known for her paintings depicting the lives of African Americans in the rural South, and her works are featured in several notable art collections.
A more recent example is Hattye Marie Cobb (1916-2001), an American educator and civil rights activist from Mississippi. She played a significant role in the desegregation of schools in her state and was recognized for her contributions to the advancement of equal educational opportunities.
While the name Hattye is not as common today as it once was, it carries a rich history and cultural significance, particularly within the African American community in the United States. The name's various spellings and its diminutive form Hattie have been embraced by many families over the centuries, reflecting the enduring popularity of this name and its deep roots in both English and American cultural traditions.
People
Hattye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hattye as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hattye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hattye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hattye going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Hattye a common name?
We classify Hattye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 121 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hattye most popular?
The single biggest year for Hattye was 1915, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hattye is about 94 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hattye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hattye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hattye in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hattye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hattye in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hattye can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Hattye?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Hattye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.