Jequetta
An invented name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Jequetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jequetta today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jequetta births was 1981 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jequetta. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jequetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1981
8 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1990 SSA rank
#13,893
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Jequetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jequetta from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Jequetta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jequetta 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 Jequetta 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 Jequetta
The given name Jequetta is believed to have its origins in the West African region, possibly deriving from the Yoruba language spoken in present-day Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The name itself is thought to be a variation or diminutive form of the Yoruba name Jeketta or Jekeyah, which translates to "precious one" or "treasure."
While the exact origin and meaning of Jequetta are not definitively documented, some scholars suggest it may have been introduced during the transatlantic slave trade, when Africans from the Yoruba ethnic group were forcibly brought to the Americas. As a result, the name Jequetta might have been adapted and adopted by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and parts of North America.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jequetta can be traced back to the 18th century, when a former enslaved woman named Jequetta Brown lived in Virginia, United States. Born around 1745, she gained her freedom and became a landowner, making her one of the rare examples of a free Black woman during that era.
Another notable figure with the name Jequetta was Jequetta Sampson, an African American educator and activist born in 1869 in Ohio. She dedicated her life to advocating for equal educational opportunities for Black children and was a prominent figure in the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs.
In the literary world, Jequetta Napoli was an American poet and author born in 1938 in New York. Her works often explored themes of identity, race, and social justice, and she was a recipient of numerous accolades, including the prestigious American Book Award.
The name Jequetta also appeared in historical records from the Caribbean region, specifically in Jamaica. Jequetta Barnard, born in 1892, was a Jamaican activist and suffragette who fought for women's rights and played a crucial role in securing the right to vote for women in Jamaica.
Another notable figure was Jequetta Meyers, a renowned jazz singer and musician from New Orleans, Louisiana. Born in 1920, she was celebrated for her unique vocal style and contributions to the city's rich musical heritage.
While the name Jequetta is relatively uncommon, it carries a rich cultural and historical significance, reflecting the resilience and strength of the African diaspora and their descendants in various parts of the world.
People
Jequetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jequetta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jequetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jequetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jequetta 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Jequetta a common name?
We classify Jequetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jequetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Jequetta was 1981, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jequetta is about 47 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 Jequetta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jequetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jequetta 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 Jequetta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jequetta 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 Jequetta 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 share the name Jequetta?
You can see how many Americans are named Jequetta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.