The street is generally held to be named after Henrietta (née Somerset; 1690–1726), the wife of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton,[1][2][3] although an alternative candidate is Henrietta (née Crofts; 1697–1730), third wife of Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton.
[5] Construction on the street started in the mid-1720s, on land bought by the Gardiner family in 1721.
[6] Gardiner had a mansion, designed by Richard Cassels, built for his own use around 1730.
The street is a cul-de-sac, with the Law Library of King's Inns facing onto its western end.
[11] A plaque at the address commemorates its association with Irish republican Thomas Bryan.