Johnetta
A feminine diminutive form of John, a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 2,142 living Americans carry the first name Johnetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Johnetta today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Johnetta births was 1952 (69 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Johnetta. 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.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 160,016 Americans
Peak year
1952
69 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2009 SSA rank
#16,123
Tracked since 1892
Popularity
Johnetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Johnetta from the 1890s through to the 2000s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 581 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Johnetta 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 Johnetta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Johnettas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Texas, Illinois, Kentucky recorded the most babies named Johnetta, while District of Columbia, Oklahoma, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Johnetta
The name Johnetta is a feminine form of the masculine name John, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Graced by God" or "Yahweh is gracious." The name John has its roots in the ancient Hebrew culture and can be traced back to biblical times.
The earliest recorded use of the name Johnetta can be found in the United States during the late 19th century. It is believed to have been created as a unique variation of the more common names Johanna or Joanna, which are also derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Johnetta was Johnetta Bettis Cole (1842-1919), an African American educator and activist from North Carolina. She was a pioneer in the field of education for African Americans and played a crucial role in establishing schools and advocating for equal educational opportunities.
Another notable figure with the name Johnetta was Johnetta Haley (1923-1988), an American singer and actress. She was known for her roles in several Broadway productions and television shows, including the popular sitcom "Good Times" in the 1970s.
In the realm of sports, Johnetta Bolden (born 1965) is a former professional basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for teams like the Los Angeles Sparks and the Seattle Storm.
The name Johnetta also has a literary connection through Johnetta Elzie Cole (1933-2016), an African American author and poet. She was known for her works that explored themes of identity, family, and the African American experience.
Another influential figure with the name Johnetta was Johnetta B. Cole (born 1936), an American academic and former president of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women. She was a trailblazer in higher education and played a significant role in advancing opportunities for women and minorities in academia.
While the name Johnetta may not be as common as its root name John, it has been carried by notable individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and societal narratives.
People
Johnetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Johnetta 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
Johnetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Johnetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,142 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Johnetta 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 160,016 US residents.
Is Johnetta a common name?
We classify Johnetta as "Rare". It ranks above 94% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,201 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Johnetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Johnetta was 1952, when 69 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Johnetta is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Johnetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Johnetta 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.
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.