National Heather Day is celebrated on December 3 every year. On this day, everyone around the world acknowledges and appreciates the Heathers they know. On this same day, fans of American singer-songwriter Conan Gray’s viral single ‘Heather’ also observe an emotional holiday based on the song’s story to remember their lost love interests. Since becoming viral on TikTok in 2020, it’s been the basis of many trends and short videos on the internet. For Gray’s fans and many other netizens, the name Heather — according to the song — evokes the image of a beautifully captivating lady who was warm, cool, and exceptionally lovable.
History of National Heather Day
Heather is widely regarded as a female name of Middle English origin. The name means the heather plant, a variety of evergreen shrubs with purplish-pink flowers and small, scale-like leaves. The flowering plant is primarily known to thrive on peaty barren lands — which explains why it’s mostly found in Scotland, the northeastern U.S., and some parts of England. The word ‘heather’ is originally derived from the Middle English ‘hather’. Heather was first recorded as a given name in 1852 by the New York Times when a mother and her infant, Miss Heather Campbell, emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland, on August 2. In 1935, the name debuted on the American female naming charts, and its usage grew slowly and steadily for about 30 years. By 1967, Heather landed on the Top 100 list — coming in at number 997 — and ultimately jumped to the Top 10 female baby names by 1972! In 1975, Heather peaked as the third most commonly used girl’s name in the U.S. as almost 25,000 baby girls received the moniker — only trailing behind Jennifer and Amy. Since then, Heather’s popularity has nosedived. As of 2011, less than 400 babies were given the name.Some popular Heathers include late English actress Heather Angel (1909 to 1986); American hip-hop artist Heather B. Gardner; American civil rights activist, feminist, and political strategist Heather Booth; American actresses Heather Locklear, Heather Morris, Heather Tom, and Heather Matarazzo; Canadian model Heather Marks; Canadian squash player Heather Wallace; British singer Heather Small; American basketball player Heather Burge; and Miss America winner Heather Whitestone. Fictional characters with the moniker include Heather Badcock, a victim in Agatha Christie’s 1962 novel, “The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side,” and Heather, from the Dreamworks’ 2006 3D computer-animated film “Over the Hedge.”
National Heather Day timeline
“Miss Heather” is used in reference to a girl’s name in “The New York Times” on August 2.
The name Heather peaks in popularity at number three on the female baby names chart.
Heather Whitestone from Alabama wins the Miss America pageant.
Conan Gray releases his album “Kid Krow” featuring the viral TikTok song ‘Heather.’
National Heather Day FAQs
What does the name Heather mean?
Heather, as a girl’s name, is of Middle English origin relating to the low evergreen flowering plant grown widely in the Northern Hemisphere.
Is Heather a female name?
Heather is a mainly female name, and the masculine equivalent is Heath.
Is Heather still a popular name?
Compared to 1975, when Heather was the third-most-popular name among girls, Heather has continued to drop in popularity. As of 2017, Heather was the 1,129th most popular girl name — meaning only 220 babies were named Heather that year.
National Heather Day Activities
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Buy her flowers
Heather’s a name based on a plant. An excellent way to celebrate this day is to buy her a bouquet of her favorite!
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Throw a party
Do you know other Heathers who will love to dance and play games today? Go throw a Heathers’ party with them if you’re feeling like it. We won’t judge you!
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Share on social media
Many people might not know much about this day yet. It’s a perfect opportunity to use your social media pages to wish yourself a happy National Heather Day and have others celebrate with you, too!
5 Cool Facts About Heather Whitestone
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She became Miss America at 21
Born in 1973, Heather Whitestone won the Miss America pageant in 1995 in Atlantic City.
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She wasn’t born deaf
When she was 18 months old, she had influenza, which left her deaf.
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She did it first
Heather Whitestone was the first deaf Miss America and the first Miss America with a disability.
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She just didn’t quit
She competed for the Miss Alabama title three times before winning it, finally sending her to the Miss America competition.
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She’s authored several books
Heather is an author of four books — “Listening with My Heart,” “Believing the Promise,” “Let God Surprise You,” and “Heavenly Crowns.”
Why We Love National Heather Day
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It’s a day to celebrate
Heathers — like the plant itself — are known to be resilient and dogged. This day celebrates the unwavering spirit, razor-sharp focus, and undying commitment with the name.
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It’s a day to share
National name days like this are known for sharing love and giving gifts to our amazing friends and family. We love that we can join all Heathers to celebrate today, too!
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It’s a day to raise awareness
Sadly, Heather is falling off the rank of popular baby names. We hope that this celebration will get the name back in vogue.
National Heather Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | December 3 | Saturday |
| 2023 | December 3 | Sunday |
| 2024 | December 3 | Tuesday |
| 2025 | December 3 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | December 3 | Thursday |
