Help! We have a baby girl on the way in early November, and I’m getting cold feet about the name we’ve (tentatively) picked.
Middle name will be the same as the famous immigration station island in the NY harbor (my last name), last name will be the same as the narrator of Moby Dick (husband’s last name).
Brother’s name: Samuel (Island) (Narrator). He is usually called Sammy. This baby will be our last because I’m getting my tubes tied, but if we do end up in a miraculous virgin birth situation, future children will have the same middle-last combo.
Top choice: Harriet/Hallie/Hattie. This was my suggestion and would have been Sammy’s name if he’d been a girl. We still like it but now I’m second guessing myself. Is it too weird/unpopular? Will people think a Hallie is named after Halle Berry? Will people think a Harriet is named after Harry Potter? What if you knew the parents were big Harry Potter nerds who now have a fraught relationship with the series because of the author’s transphobia? Samuel now seems like the most perfect name ever uttered — not too popular, not too weird, friendly-sounding, timeless — so how can we ever match that? Or do I just feel that way because Sammy himself is so great? Have I just been driven over the edge by pregnancy hormones? I am a chronic overthinker so this is very possible!
So we’ve kept looking. I would describe my naming style as “long stern maiden aunt full name with fun kicky nickname”. I’m not too concerned with popularity except it prefer it not to be super tied to a particular generation — no super sharp peaks in popularity a la Heather or Brittany. My husband is not as much of a name dork as I am and so would not describe his naming style in any particular way, but we generally have fairly compatible tastes.
Contenders:
Caroline/Cal/Caddie (I prefer Callie as a nickname but it makes him think of the state of California)
Dorothy/Dottie/Dot (family name on both sides but neither of us is sold)
Amelia/Molly (a little too popular, plus Molly is a bit of a stretch as a nickname)
Naomi (bit of a style outlier)
Rosemary/Rosie/Romy (was my top choice for a while but I’ve cooled off — not quite antique enough, I think)Names I’ve suggested that my husband vetoed:
Mary (“too boring”)
Jane (ditto)
Louisa/Lucy (“too old lady”)
Esther/Essie (ditto)
Felicity (“too weird”)
Josephine/Josie (“it’s just a boy name with a girl ending”(???))Names my husband has suggested that I’ve vetoed:
Abigail (recent sharp peak)
Audrey (too modern, if I can’t imagine it on a Jane Austen character it’s not for me)Names we like but have other reasons for avoiding (don’t want to name after living relatives, close cousins with the name, sounds preposterous with the middle name, etc):
Margaret/Maggie
Marianne/May
Evelyn/Evvie
Alice
Rebecca (As a Betsy, the name Becky is my natural enemy)(In case it helps: if this baby had been a boy they would have been Nathaniel.)
Please either talk me off this cliff and convince me Harriet is a good choice, or help us pick a new name!
(Thank you in advance and please feel free to edit this question as you see fit, since it got extremely long!)
Betsy
I am always a little worried that I will say “DON’T WORRY! This is just cold feet!”—and then it will turn out that, no, the letter-writer had genuine doubts, and now they will be writing back in a month with baby name regret.
Still, I will say my initial reaction to this letter is DON’T WORRY! This is just cold feet.
I think Harriet is charming and delightful, and wonderful with the sibling name. While the name Hallie does bring Halle Berry to mind, I would not assume there was any connection—especially with the different spelling, and a nickname not a given name. But also: it’s a very neutral association.
I would not have made any connection at all between Harriet and Harry Potter, though you were 100% correct to include the additional context, because that DOES move me from “I would never have made any connection at all” to “Wait, would I? No, I still think I wouldn’t.” I asked Paul for his reaction, to make sure I wasn’t paving over issues in my overeagerness to have a new baby in the world named Harriet; and he went on for SEVERAL MINUTES explaining why he did not think it was an issue (it involved Venn diagrams), despite the fact that he thinks he WOULD make the jump from Harriet to Harry Potter. So there’s two data points: Swistle and Paul both think this is not an issue.
It’s true the name Harriet is underused: according to the Social Security Administration, only 217 new baby girls were given the name in 2022. But it is FAMILIAR-uncommon: people know the name. They know how to pronounce it. They are not going to say “WHAT did you say? I have never heard that name!” And I suspect many people will be delighted to hear it: the common names are common because a lot of people like them, but it can mean we all get a little overly familiar with hearing them.
It has been…good heavens TWENTY YEARS since I first heard of a new baby named Harriet, and my very first reaction was “HARRIET????”—and about three seconds later, my second reaction was “😍✨😍H✨A✨R✨R✨I✨E✨T😍✨😍!!” And it was the new baby of one of Paul’s co-workers, and she was a spirited and opinionated child, so I kept hearing about this baby/toddler, and every single time it was a fresh delight: “Apparently Harriet is shrieking every time they put the spoon near her mouth, unless it is the BLUE spoon,” Paul would report, and I would think “😍✨😍H✨A✨R✨R✨I✨E✨T😍✨😍!!” I’ve retained that reaction to this very day.
Where was I? Oh, yes: I DO think the name Samuel/Sammy now seems so objectively perfect and unmatchable because of the child himself and your love for him. …Er! Not to say it is NOT a wonderful/friendly/timeless name! It IS! But I think you will come to feel the same way about your second child’s name, and that you should not try to compare apples (names that still seem like names) with oranges (names that are now YOUR CHILD).
If you MUST continue searching, then I wish Margaret wasn’t already off the table, because I think that would be a marvelous option: similar in GIST to Harriet but significantly more common (2,180 new baby girls named Margaret in 2022); excellent nickname options (Daisy, Greta, Margo, Retta, Meg, Maggie, Margie…); wonderful with the sibling name.
Henrietta. Hennie, Hattie, Ettie, Etta, Ria, Hank!
Oh, you might be a PERFECT candidate for one of my own favorites I am always trying to get people to use: Winifred. WINIFRED!! Stern maiden aunt for DAYS! Winnie! Freddie!
Also: Millicent. MILLICENT/MILLIE! Perfection.
Also: Florence. FLORENCE! Who else could be so stern and so lovely at the same time? And I think the actor Florence Pugh has recently given the name a good boost into usability. Nicknames Florrie, Flossie, Flora.
I am also a fan of Philomena. Minnie, Mena, Phil.
Matilda/Tilly/Tildy/Mattie.
LYDIA. Not a…GREAT…Austen character, but the right ERA, and a great NAME! Liddy!
Or Cordelia? Cory, Rory, Delia.
GEORGIA. George, Georgie, Geordy, Gigi, Gia.
Philippa! Pippa! Phil!
Claudia, but I am not sure about a nickname.
Another possible nickname for Caroline is Rory.
But I think 😍✨😍H✨A✨R✨R✨I✨E✨T 😍✨😍. I would use the nickname Hattie, except that I would never actually use it because I would be having so much fun saying the name Harriet. Well, no: I can see myself saying “Sammy and Hattie.”
Name update:
Thank you everyone for helping me fall back in love with our name choice — Harriet joined us on Halloween! I’d still love to see those Venn diagrams though!
Chiming in to say that where I am (just outside DC), Harriet is having a mini-resurgence—we know three ages 8 and under! So I think of the name as on-trend, which may push your needle either way.
If I didn’t know the parents well enough to know they were one-time Harry Potter fans, I would never think of Harry Potter. If I did know, then I would probably also know your current stance on Rowling’s transphobia. So I don’t think that’s an issue either, unless you know lots of people who know the former but not the latter!
I’m with Swistle: name her Harriet! It’s a great name!
The Harry Potter connection did give me a SLIGHT pause, but not enough to change my mind about the name. (And I’m in the same boat as you: former HP fan who now has a Very Fraught relationship with the series.) I did think, “Huh, I guess it does sound a lot like Harry”—but if I met a child with the name I absolutely wouldn’t think “Oh, her parents must be Harry Potter fans” or “Oh, her parents must not have a problem with JK Rowling’s transphobic views.”
In short: Harriet is a lovely name and you should use it.
Oh my goodness yes, use Harriet! It’s perfect, both on its own and as a sibling to Samuel. I don’t think of Harry Potter at all when I hear Harriet (I would if you used Hermione), and I think Hallie is common enough that as long as your last name isn’t, say, Bailey, you’re fine. That said, I 100% prefer Hattie as a nickname. Gorgeous.
I do also love Henrietta from Swistle’s suggestions, but seriously. Go with Harriet.
Harriett is PERFECT and I love it.
I have a boy Sami! Spelled differently bc it’s a an Arabic name, but pronounced just like Sammy. And I also have 2 girls, Nadia and Nora. Nora was named after my great-great aunt Nora, born around 1900, that I don’t remember but who my mom really loved, and I wanted an old fashioned name that wasn’t too weird but not too popular. :-) Nora doesn’t have a nickname really and it is more common than Harriett (which is also lovely!!). But just an idea!! Nora and Sammy. :-)
I declare an interest – my DD is Harriet(usually goes by Hattie) and it is a lovely name! More commonly used here in the UK but not overly so. She Harriet Jane and her sister is Felicity Margaret so we have similar tastes. Your list is fantastic but Harriet is perfect 😍
Omg those are amazing names, I’m a fan!! :)
To add my two cents, I don’t necessarily think of Halle Berry immediately when I hear Hallie. (Parent Trap comes to mind first, honestly.) And I also think the Halle Berry associated will continue to cool off as she ages and is less in the Hollywood spotlight than she used to be.
I really like Harriet, nicknamed Hattie or Hallie.
You might also like:
Hadley — could also lead to Hallie or Haddie or even Hattie
Hazel
Martha — Mara or Marta or Marti
Miriam — Mimi or Mira or Miri
Best wishes to you!
Molly can also be a nickname for Martha!
I like the name Harriet! I’ve known a few in the 5-15 age range, so it might be gaining in popularity. Sammy and Hattie as nicknames sound a bit matchy but I’m guessing Sammy will go by Sam as he gets older. Sam and Hattie sound great together.
Adeline or Adelaide nicknamed Addie would also be lovely, but has been popular around here, though maybe not in your area.
I also love Swistle’s suggestion of Margaret! So many nickname options.
Or what about Elizabeth? Lizzy, Eliza, Ellie, Beth, or even something more unconventional like Zibby could be nicknames.
I love the name Harriet and would never make the Harry Potter connection. A close friend just had a baby Harriett “Hattie” and I think it’s such a sweet name. Samuel and Harriett “Sammy and Hattie” is a beautiful sibset. I wouldn’t second guess yourself.
I am also a historically big potterhead who now has a complicated relationship with the series due to JK Rowling’s transphobia. I would never make the connection between Harriet and Harry Potter. I honestly would be unlikely to make the connection between a baby named Harry and Harry Potter! Hermione, Ginevra, Neville, even Ron would all be a different story, but Harry is like George or Fred to me – not associated except in context. In case that helps!
I don’t know if it’s because I’m likely about half the age of the average patron of this blog, or just that I don’t really follow much to do with celebrities, but I do not know who Halle Berry is. The association might not be as automatic as you fear.
Harriet and Harry just don’t feel similar to me in the way that say, Robert and Roberta do. Harriet and Herald feel more similar, but the latter feels outdated to me in a way that Harriet doesn’t, so I don’t really associate them either.
When I hear the name Harriet, I think that I like the name. Then I think of Harriet Tubman, Harriet Lane, and Jackson and April’s daughter on Gray’s Anatomy. Those are all positive associations. ( :
I agree with everything Swistle says! Harriet is adorable and will age well! I also second Winifred but consider the nicknames Winnie or Wendy. Wendy by itself is lovely too.
I love Harriet – but what about Mary nicknamed Molly? You can’t get any more timeless than Mary, goes perfect with Samuel plus Sam and Molly are just a delightful pair.
I love Harriet nn Hallie or Hattie! I wouldn’t think Harry Potter unless you were using Harry as a nn (and I’m part of the prime Harry Potter generation.) Hallie with that spelling makes me think of The Parent Trap (awesome movie) before Halle Berry, and neither of those are a bad association. I would worry that Hattie would sound like Matty or Maddy, but I don’t think that’s a deal breaker.
I love Harriet and don’t personally know any (as a teacher and a mom of a 5 year old – living in northern midwest). I would not think of Harry Potter at all. My son has a little friend named Henrietta and she goes by Retta – which could totally be another nickname for Harriet! Or Etta? Hattie is also great. I say go for Harriet!
I love your naming style and had my husband been on board with nicknames, would have identified as the same!! My niece is Harriet nn Hattie and I can attest that Harriet is such a great name on a little girl, and as much as I adore her nickname (like wanted to name my daughter Hattie adore it) I actually prefer Harriet- love saying it, just love it. I think it’s cold feet!
I too would say that Harriet and Hattie are on-trend in some areas.
Which leads me to my shameless, self-centered plug for JANE and the other old “too plain” names. It was an important (to me) family name but it felt SO PLAIN to my husband and me. We finally picked Jane because it was the least offensive to us both and the most meaningful to me. And my husband was meh on almost all of my girl name choices. I have zero regrets. it’s classic and old yet somehow fresh and unexpected because no one is using it anymore! Unless it’s someone’s AUNT, or as a middle name. my almost 3 year old Jane/Janie is fun and fierce. her name suits her strong, kicky personality so well- loving her name has been the best surprise of naming our 3 kids.
Ps- also love Katherine/kitty/kit
Mary nn Mamie?
Reba is a cute nn for Rebecca
More support for Harriet!
Harriet makes me (Gen X American mom) think of Harriet the Spy (positive association, even though I have only vague childhood memories of actually reading the book). Also Harriet Vane (very positive, because I am a fan of the Lord Peter Wimsey detective stories), but I bet most people haven’t heard of that character.
I do like ab’s suggestions above, especially Hazel. I feel like you could use Hallie for Hazel, and maybe even Hattie if you really wanted to– I used a slightly non-standard nickname for one of my children and no one’s ever grumbled about it.
Good luck!
I like Harriet (and all of your name choices, you don’t have a bad one). I think the only association I would have with Harriet would be Harriet the Spy, a positive one. I would never make it to Harry Potter unless you called her harry and played up the connection.
On the nicknames a girl named Harriet with a nn Hallie, I would pronounce that with a long a like the comet rather than a short like the actress, so I wouldn’t make the connection.
Letter writer here! I feel better about Harriet already. (I’d love to see those venn diagrams though!) Thank you all for the reassurance and the extra suggestions — so many great names that have unfortunately already been vetoed by my husband or otherwise disqualified!
I love the name Harriet and the nn Hallie. I had a classmate friend named Hallie when I was young and I was always fond of the name. Agree that I associate it with Parent Trap before I think of Halle Berry.
Your whole list is great.
Audrey predates Austen – it’s in Shakespeare!
There are two Harriets in my son’s kindergarten class. He is one of two Sams, and has to go by the dreaded “Sam C.” My same age niece is called Hattie, short for Harriet. And there is also Hattie in my son’s music class AND Sunday school, class! Funnily enough, my son often goes by Sammy, and is very good friends with his cousin Hattie, so lots of “Sammy and Hattie” stuff.
All that to say the name certainly doesn’t feel weird or unusual to me. I would also NEVER make the connection to Harry Potter, but even if you did, so what? Harry Potter is a fantastic character. You’re not considering J.K. as a name, which is with whom the concern lies.
Since it sounds like you have the exact same naming style as my sister in law, mother of Hattie, I can share with you the names that they considered/chose for subsequent daughters.
Beatrice
Louise/Louisa/Eloise
Matilda
Henrietta
Josephine
Alice
Winifred
June
And since my son is named Samuel, I’ll share some of my own favorites. ;)
Claire
Ada
Leah
Josephine
Margaret
Elizabeth
Sarah
Alice
Katherine
But I wouldn’t second guess a name you loved! You’ll love it even more once you have a sweet baby girl attached to that name!
I’m a stern maiden aunt namer, too!!!! And many people have said that to my face when I tell them my youngest’s name in particular: “Uhhhh, is that after a great aunt or….???” That sentence was ACTUALLY said to me, and very many times implied. So I’ll suggest her name: Maud. We named her in part after folk artist who ended up having a movie made about her called “Maudie” when our Maudie was about four, so it was SUPER bizarre to see our “olde timey” name up in lights!! We call her Mo, Moggie, and lots of weird ones that don’t make any sense (like Moggie – that’s her Dad not me!).
There’s also my daughter’s other name which I love: Emmeline (pronounced like Caroline) – oh, I love Caroline btw!!! I’ll put in a vote for it bc I obviously love a line ending. My cousin calls his wife “Caro” and “Car”, which I love (she’s a Carol), but still.
Having said all that, I also think that Harriet is wonderful, it was on our list, and it goes with Samuel (everything does, really, so you can’t go wrong). There wasn’t a name on your list that I didn’t love. So if it’s just cold feet, Harriet is amazing. If not, consider Caroline!
I’ve been hugely crushing on Maude recently!
It’s gone from not on my radar at all to top 10 list out of nowhere.
Love Emmeline too (both -leen and -line)
That’s so funny!! Our experience with it is that it’s not popular AT ALL, but people can pronounce it and spell it (I love either spelling). We get so much positive feedback on her name. And a bonus – it means “battle mighty”. She battled cancer for five years as a toddler, so it was crazy that we just felt right about the name when I was pregnant. Like it was meant to be. And then it happened – she needed to be battle-mighty. :)
And for Emmeline, I just adore her name. So many fun nicknames and people are split – some say “line” some go “leen” a few say “lynn”. Worth it for a beautiful, old fashioned, uncommon name. The prettiness of it – chef’s kiss.
CaitMore, I’m sorry to hear about your Maud’s battle with cancer. I’m glad to hear she won it and that the meaning of her lovely name is so fitting for her.
I’m familiar with Maud Lewis’ art and story (Canadian here who fell for her when we visited Nova Scotia a few years ago and saw her tiny, beautifully painted house/exhibit). It’s a lovely namesake.
Bless your heart, Michelle, you are SO kind. Thank you for saying what you did. ❤️
That exhibit is amazing. She was quite the little woman. My Maud is quite small, too, small but mighty just like her namesake! :)
Take care…
I was a huge Harry Potter fan – HUGE – who now has a complicated relationship with it because of JK Rowling’s complete and utter shittiness. I feel like if anyone might have that association, it would be someone like me – and I would never, ever, hear the name Harriet and think of Harry Potter. There are a few names that would make me think of it (Neville, Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Severus, Dumbledore, etc.) but Harriet? I would never get there. The only association I have is to one of my favourite childhood books, Harriet The Spy. If you love Harriet, I would love to see you use Harriet.
I have a daughter named Harriet (currently 12 yo), and it’s a great name! She loves it and we love it, too. She’s the only Harriet we know, but no one has ever mispronounced her name or thought it was weird. We started off calling her Etta but now it’s mostly Harriet (and sometimes Henrietta). I think it can lean a lot of different ways – it feels perfect for our fierce-yet-very-sweet kid but I can also picture myriad Harriets.
And we’ve never had a single person ask us if we named her after Harry Potter!
Harriet is great – wonderful! Another option is Frances nn Frankie.
I think Harriet is a great choice for you. But if you go another direction, Beatrice/Beatrix was the first name that came to mind. Vintage, some good nicknames (Bea, Trixie). Plus in the Beezus and Ramona books, Beezus was named for her aunt Beatrice, so it has an aunt name vibe for me.
I have had four kids and my last three I DEFINITELY had a moment of doubt during every pregnancy, where I turned on my well loved name so hard. I am grateful to my husband for always gently reminding me of how much we loved that name when we chose it, every time I kept our choice and I have never regretted it. One of my kids is named Veronica Lucy and I had a moment where I wanted to change her name to Veronica Beatrice and call her Veronica Bea, but my husband pointed out that their last name starts with a B so I could just call her that and sometimes I still do and she’s 14! Win win!
It is cracking me up that your husband thought Felicity was too weird because my youngest is named Felicity and right before we had her, my husband thought we should change her middle name from Rose to something “normal” like Susan, in case she wanted to go by IT and not Felicity! I reminded him of his good advice to me and she seems to be doing fine going by Felicity or Fifi, ha ha.
That is all to say keep that name! I know one Hattie/Harriet, who is about 12 and I have never thought of Harry Potter one time with her! Good luck to you all!
God I love the name Felicity – it was always on our list and if I’d had a fourth I’m pretty sure that’s what we’d use. I loved all the nicknames: Fi, Fifi, Flossy, Fleece, I’m sure we’d come up with more!!
It’s so hard when you run out of babies to name lol. But at least we have Swistle!!
Harriet is wonderful! I love Harriett and it sounds like you could, too. Beautiful with Samuel and has many of the same appealing characteristics.
Tiny data point: I knew a 50yo(ish) Hallie in MA in the late 90s/early 2000s and her name was unusual but easily pronounced and warmly received. I think Hallie is warm and sensible, as a name.
As the mother of a Josephine (I realize your husband does not like) and a Philippa (Pippa), I can report both names are widely admired and often draw compliments. J is easily pronounced, P less so but people get it after a couple reminders. We use a Spanish nickname for J, which might not work for you, but loads of kicky nicknames for both.
Harriet is great. My reference is to the book Skating Shoes, which was part of the Ballet Shoes book series revival phenomenon. I guess they reprinted that series in the 80s! I like Hattie over Hallie, just because Halle/Halley dilutes the awesomeness of having a name like Harriet imho. I really liked the character Harriet in the book.
Henrietta is also great. Henrietta Pussycat, Henny, Henny-Penny.
If Rosemary doesn’t work, what about Rosalie?
My grandma and her two sisters were Alice, Florence and Mildred if that helps with old lady names. Al, Flo and Millie. <3
Harriet seems good to me! Others that fit my mental list of “long stern maiden aunt full name with fun kicky nickname” and yet might not read as too boring/old lady/weird to your husband include
Beatrice/Beatrix (Bea, Trixie)
Florence (Flo, Flora)
Gwendolyn (Gwen or Wendy)–I actually love this name and think it’s so underused!
Susanna (Sue, Anna, etc.)…too much with Samuel? That’s up to you but I don’t think Samuel and Susanna is matchy in a bad way, just matchy.
Elinor/Eleanor (Ellie, Nora)
Catherine/Katherine (so many nicknames–Kitty would be the Jane Austen choice!)
I wonder if Vada would appeal to you? It’s my old maiden aunt’s name.
But you can’t go wrong with Harriet. It’s a delightful choice.
Harriet nn Hattie is lovely, pairs very well with Samuel/Sammy and makes me think of Jane Austen, not Harry Potter, which is what you’re going for.
If you like Rosie but are unsure about Rosemary, what about Rosamund nn Rosie?
But here are a few more ideas:
Adelaide nn Addy
Charlotte nn Charlie/Lottie
Emily nn Emmy
Tallulah nn Lulu
Camilla nn Millie
Penelope nn Penny/Nell/Poppy
I know a teen Adelaide “Addie”! People assume it’s short for Addison, Adelyn, or Adeline, but she likes it and it wears well.
I love Beatrice or Florence!
I also want to suggest Edith (nn Edie). I think of Edith as a stern aunt and I think the nickname Edie is adorable. :)
HARRIET. I love that name so much.
My two associations with Harriet are Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, and Harriet, the main character of Skating Shoes by Noel Streatfield (back in print, thanks to You’ve Got Mail, where Meg Ryan’s character bemoans that the Shoes books are out of print). Here is an example of what you can get from reading Skating Shoes,
“…”I must say,” he agreed, “you do look a miserable little specimen. I hoped you’d pick up after that convalescent home the hospital sent you to.”
Harriet looked at him sadly, for she thought he was too nice to be so ignorant.
“I don’t see why I should have got better at that convalescent home.”
“It’s a famous place.”
“But it’s at the top of a cliff, and everything goes on at the bottom of the cliff, sea-bathing and the sands and everything nice like that. I could never go down because my legs were too wobbly to bring me back.”
The doctor muttered something under his breath which sounded like “idiots”…
What about Estelle as a less “Old Lady” alternative to Esther? I know a teenage Estelle, nn Essie, and she wears it beautifully. Or Estella, or Estrella. Estelle and Samuel, Essie and Sammy. Estelle (Island) might be a bit much, but that’s for you to decide.
Other Suggestions:
– Augusta “Aggie” – Agnes or Agatha would also work!
– Cordelia “Cora” or “Delia”
– Miriam “Miri”, “Mira”, or “Mia”
– Penelope “Penny” or “Nell”
– Rosemary “Rosie”
I love Harriet! … So much that I talked my daughter into naming not one, but two hamsters Harriet when she was 5/6. We had Harriet and then Harriet Two. There aren’t many names great enough that I want to use them twice! We currently have chickens named Gertrude, Winifred, Penny, Opal, and Sukie. I’m into fusty old aunt names, too! I think if you’re really looking for alternatives, Penny offers the same friendly, approachable feeling as Samuel. Samuel and Penny. Sammy and Penny. Sam and Pen.
I don’t think of Harry Potter. As someone else said, I wouldn’t even think parents who named their baby Harry were necessarily Harry Potter fans.
You have lots of good options on your list and Swistle’s – Samuel/Sammy plays really well with others! – so you can’t go wrong. But Harriet is wonderful.
I love Harriet (as apparently does everyone else), but for your purposes I would also consider
Phillipa/ Pippa
Victoria / Tori
I like that the nicknames are fun and kicky, but still easily “girl” identifiable rather than Harry which is not so much.
I’m glad to hear you are feeling reassured about Harriet. Go for it. I am partial to Winifred as Winifred was my late grandmother’s name. When I was a kid in the ‘80s the name seemed dusty, but I’m glad to see someone seriously considering it
What a little cutie!!! Harriet is perfect. Thank you for the update!
I’m so glad you went with Harriet! It was such the obvious perfect choice.
Hooray baby Harriet! Thank you for the update. She’s adorable and her name is perfect.