Heather

From heather; the given name is one of the plant names taken up in the 19th century. The surname is habitational, also meaning someone living on a heath.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛðɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛðə/
• Rhymes: -ɛðə(ɹ)

Heather (plural Heathers)

1. A female given name.
   • 1867 J.H.Riddell: Far Above Rubies. Bernhard Tauchnitz 1867. page 50:

     She struck his fancy - that pretty girl with the quaint name: sweet Heather Bell, as Mr. Travers always called her.

     "The name was a fancy of her godfather, an eccentric bachelor," the lady explained. " She was the youngest of three daughters, and the other two were called, respectively, 'Lily' and 'Rose'. 'Call this one Heather,' said Mr. Stewart, who loved Scotland and her purple mountains, 'she will grow up like the heather, perhaps - strong, hardy, a wild flower, worth of a hundred of your garden rarities.'

   • 2001 John Irving: The Cider House Rules. Ballantine Books 2001. →ISBN page 506:

     "I like Hazel and Heather," Angel said, after a while. "They're both names of plants, so they sort of go with Rose."

     "I don't have no plant, I got a little girl," Rose Rose said, smiling.

2. A surname​.

• The given name was popular at the end of the 20th century.

• heareth

Borrowed from English Heather.

Heather

1. A female given name