harriet

fem. proper name, the English equivalent of French Henriette, fem. diminutive of Harry.

We think that gentlemen lose a particle of their respect for young ladies who allow their names to be abbreviated into such cognomens as Kate, Madge, Bess, Nell, &c. Surely it is more lady-like to be called Catharine, Margaret, Eliza, or Ellen. We have heard the beautiful name Virginia degraded into Jinny; and Harriet called Hatty, or even Hadge. [Eliza Leslie, “Miss Leslie’s Behaviour Book,” Philadelphia, 1839]