Henrietta is the feminine form of Henry, from the Germanic Heinrich, and means "home ruler" or "ruler of the household". Henrietta Maria, the French-born queen of Charles I, gave her name to Maryland, and Henrietta Lacks, whose cells transformed medical research, is honored today. The revival of vintage names with nicknames like Hattie and Etta has lifted it from number 7306 in 2000 to number 2143 in 2024 and number 2666 in 2025 with 65 girls.