Hattie

Hattie is a diminutive of Harriet. Harriet is the English form of the French Henriette which was coined in the 17th century as a feminine diminutive of the French Henri (English: Henry, Harry). The name Henry comes from the Germanic words “haim” meaning “home” and “rīc” meaning “ruler, power". Hence, the meaning of the name Henry (and thus Harriet) is Powerful Ruler of the Home, or Mistress of the Home. As a diminutive form, then Hattie would mean “little mistress of the home” or “little ruler of the home”. Harry and Henry were developed in England as the English form of the French Henri. In medieval England Harry was the most common form, but by the 1600s Henry became the standard and Harry is now thought of as a pet form. Having been a name borne by eight kings of England we can see how Henry became a common name that begged to be feminized. Harriet really developed more from Harry than from Henry but all the names essentially come from the same place and mean the same thing. It wasn’t until the 18th century that Harriet came into widespread usage in England and then eventually spilled over to other English-speaking nations. Hattie developed as a nickname and diminutive pet form of Harriet, eventually replacing her big sister’s popularity as a given name by the late 19th century (particularly in the United States). Hattie is an old-fashioned name and one which is hardly ever used anymore.