Etta
Etta was the 930th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 281 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 72nd; the most babies were born in 1920 (803). Over the last ten years it has moved up 152 places. More babies were named Etta in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Henrietta · English, Germanic
Say it ET-uh /ˈɛtə/
- Rank in 2025
- #930 girls, down 6 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 281girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1920803 babies
- Total since 1880
- 43,291babies recorded
What does the name Etta mean?
Etta is a short form of Henrietta and other girls' names ending in -etta, as Wiktionary notes. Henrietta is the feminine of Henry, a Germanic name from heim 'home' and rīc 'ruler', so 'ruler of the home'. Etta was common in the US around 1900 and is associated with the singer Etta James, born Jamesetta Hawkins.
heim (Old High German, “home”)rīc (Old High German, “ruler”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Henrietta, Etty, Loretta, Marietta.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Etta', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Henry', DMNES (Durham University)
Etta popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 23 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #930 | 281 |
| 2020 | #924 | 279 |
| 2010 | #2,349 | 81 |
| 2000 | #6,914 | 15 |
| 1990 | #4,565 | 21 |
| 1980 | #3,540 | 23 |
| 1970 | #1,508 | 66 |
| 1960 | #696 | 214 |
| 1950 | #477 | 289 |
| 1940 | #305 | 426 |
| 1930 | #271 | 551 |
| 1920 | #230 | 803 |
| 1910 | #165 | 430 |
| 1900 | #123 | 508 |
| 1890 | #95 | 452 |
| 1880 | #72 | 323 |
How popular is Etta, counting every spelling?
Etta has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #896 for girls in 2025, against #930 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Etta?
281 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Etta (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Etta born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 30 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Etta.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Etta?
About 11,200 people born in the US named Etta are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 11 and 78. That makes Etta a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Etta by state
How common Etta was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Dakota (10.8×), Minnesota (6.1×), Wisconsin (4.3×), Nebraska (3.6×), Iowa (3.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Maryland, New Jersey, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Etta: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Etta, they share its era and feel.
Etta is also a nickname for Julietta, Loretta, Henrietta and Rosetta.
Questions about the name Etta
What does Etta mean?
Etta means “short form of Henrietta” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Etta?
Etta was the 930th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 281 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 72nd; the most babies were born in 1920 (803). Over the last ten years it has moved up 152 places. More babies were named Etta in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Etta a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Etta in the US.
Where is Etta most popular?
In 2021–2025, Etta was most common in North Dakota (1.83 per 1,000 girls), followed by Minnesota and Wisconsin.