Etta

Updated: October 14, 2023 by Stephanie Graham

Etta is a simple and beautiful name that was once the shortened form of Henrietta. In the last century, the name grew in standalone popularity with celebrities like Etta Fitzgerald, Etta James, and more. Even in 2020, Etta is still a top 1,000 option.

Meaning and Origin of the name Etta:

Etta is an English girl's name that means “home ruler” or “estate ruler.”

Etta originated as a nickname for Henrietta and other names that end in the “-etta” suffix. Henrietta is the most popular full name that utilized Etta. It originated from the Old French name Henriette, which was the feminine version of Henry. Henry is derived from the Germanic name Heimiric, which uses the elements heim (meaning “home”) and ric (meaning “power” or “ruler”).

Symbolism of the name Etta:

The baby name Etta is popular now as a first name throughout England, Scotland, and America. It still retains the meaning of Henrietta and Henriette, however. Both of these names have the same meaning as Henry, as they are feminine forms.

Nicknames for the name Etta:

Since Etta is itself a nickname, as well as a stand-alone name, and it's a short name, there aren't very many options for nicknames. The most common nickname for Etta is Ettie, and there are many different spelling variations for this nickname. Check out the list below for nicknames for Etta.

Ett
Etti
Ettie
Etty
Ettey
Tata

Style of the name Etta:

Traditional

Gender of the name Etta:

Etta is an old-fashioned name for girls.

Pronunciation of the name Etta:

EHT-uh

Number of syllables in the name Etta:

Two

Emotion evoked from the name Etta:

Etta is vintage-sounding and pleasant. It is a natural name with a touch of simplicity.

Alternative spellings for the name Etta:

Eta
Etah
Ettah

Popularity of the name Etta:

Etta was a top 200 name in America until 1913, becoming a top 300 option until 1938. The baby name did last as a top 1,000 baby name until 1966 at rank 956. It did fall off the Social Security Popularity Index until 2017 at rank 988. As of 2020, Etta is number 927 for girls.