Etta
Girl name · #928 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Etta? In official American birth records, Etta has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Etta ranks #928 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 281 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1082, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,406 girls born in 2025 was named Etta.
The 145-year story
Etta first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 323 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1920, when 803 girls were named Etta — good for #230 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Etta per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Etta against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Etta in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Etta is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Etta will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Etta is most common
Geography matters for names, and Etta is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Etta is most common in ID (1.4 per 1,000), MN (1.1 per 1,000), WI (0.7 per 1,000), UT (0.6 per 1,000), MI (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Etta is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Etta
Statistically, parents drawn to Etta tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Viola, Luella, Estella, Ila, and Flora.
ViolaLuellaEstellaIlaFloraErisLulaLeora
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Etta | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 281 | #928 |
| 2024 | 267 | #970 |
| 2023 | 283 | #936 |
| 2022 | 256 | #1015 |
| 2021 | 285 | #931 |
| 2020 | 279 | #924 |
| 2019 | 254 | #1010 |
| 2018 | 276 | #956 |
| 2017 | 263 | #988 |
| 2016 | 257 | #1030 |
| 2015 | 242 | #1082 |
| 2014 | 209 | #1173 |
| 2013 | 204 | #1178 |
| 2012 | 132 | #1629 |
| 2011 | 86 | #2190 |
| 2010 | 81 | #2341 |
| 2009 | 71 | #2592 |
| 2008 | 57 | #3017 |
| 2007 | 39 | #3983 |
| 2006 | 46 | #3469 |
| 2005 | 25 | #5113 |
| 2004 | 28 | #4707 |
| 2003 | 25 | #4943 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4280 |
| 2001 | 7 | #12056 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Etta?
In official American birth records, the name Etta first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 323 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Etta a popular girl name?
Etta ranked #928 among girls in 2025 with 281 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1082.
When was the name Etta most popular?
Etta peaked in 1920, when 803 American girls received the name (ranked #230 that year). Since 1920 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Etta?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,406 newborn American girls was named Etta. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.