Etta
Etta is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
Estate ruler or home ruler (as a diminutive of Henrietta).
Origin and history
Etta originated as a short form of names ending in -etta, such as Henrietta or Loretta, ultimately tracing back to Germanic roots. It gained widespread popularity as an independent given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it is experiencing a steady modern revival among parents drawn to vintage short names.
Popularity in the United States
43,268 babies in the United States have been named Etta since 1880. It ranks #659 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #904.
States where it is most popular
- NC (8 %)
- TX (7.7 %)
- NY (5.5 %)
- TN (5.2 %)
- KY (5 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 3,973 |
| 1890-1900 | 4,670 |
| 1900-1910 | 4,003 |
| 1910-1920 | 6,252 |
| 1920-1930 | 6,961 |
| 1930-1940 | 4,805 |
| 1940-1950 | 3,797 |
| 1950-1960 | 2,480 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,463 |
| 1970-1980 | 458 |
| 1980-1990 | 237 |
| 1990-2000 | 172 |
| 2000-2010 | 342 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,004 |
| 2020-2029 | 1,651 |
Famous people named Etta
- Etta James: Singer, Musician
- Etta Candy: Comic book character
Fun facts
- Etta originally arose as a hypocoristic suffix for names like Henrietta and Loretta before becoming an independent given name.
- After being very popular in the late 19th century, Etta has seen a steady resurgence in the 21st century.