Gettie
A feminine given name of Scandinavian origin, a diminutive of Greta.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Gettie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gettie today is around 96 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gettie births was 1894 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gettie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gettie is about 96 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Getties were born before 1940.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gettie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1894
6 babies that year
Average age
96
years old
1935 SSA rank
#4,469
Tracked since 1894
Popularity
Gettie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gettie from the 1890s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gettie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gettie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gettie
The given name Gettie is a relatively obscure and uncommon name with a rich and fascinating history. Its origins can be traced back to the Old Norse language, where it is believed to have derived from the word "getta," which means "to guess" or "to surmise." This linguistic connection suggests that Gettie may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive name for individuals who were known for their perceptive or insightful nature.
In the ancient Norse sagas and manuscripts, there are a few references to characters or individuals bearing the name Gettie or variants thereof. One notable example is found in the Icelandic Saga of Grettir, which dates back to the 13th century. In this epic tale, a minor character named Gettir is mentioned, and scholars speculate that this could be an earlier form or variant spelling of the name Gettie.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Gettie can be found in historical records from the regions of Scandinavia and the British Isles, particularly in areas with strong Norse influence and settlement. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Gettie Thorvaldsson, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the late 13th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name Gettie remained relatively uncommon but persisted in various parts of Europe. One notable figure from this era was Gettie Eriksdottir, a Swedish noblewoman born in the late 15th century, who is recorded in historical documents as a prominent landowner and patron of the arts.
In the 17th century, a Dutch merchant named Gettie van der Meer gained some notoriety for his successful trading ventures in the East Indies. His name is mentioned in several accounts and journals from that time period.
Moving into the 19th century, Gettie Jansen was a Norwegian explorer and adventurer who embarked on several expeditions to the Arctic regions. He is particularly known for his detailed accounts and maps of the Svalbard archipelago, published in the 1840s.
Another prominent figure with the name Gettie was Gettie Andersen, a Danish author and playwright born in 1875. Her works, which often explored themes of gender and social issues, were celebrated in her home country and gained recognition across Europe during the early 20th century.
While the name Gettie has never been exceptionally popular or widespread, it has a fascinating linguistic and cultural history that spans centuries and crosses multiple regions. Its enduring presence, albeit in limited circles, is a testament to its unique charm and the rich tapestry of names that have emerged from the diverse cultures and languages of the world.
People
Gettie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gettie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gettie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gettie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gettie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Gettie a common name?
We classify Gettie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gettie most popular?
The single biggest year for Gettie was 1894, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gettie is about 96 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gettie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gettie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gettie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gettie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gettie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gettie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Gettie as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.