Laretta
Feminine form of the Italian name Lara, meaning "great" or "crowned one".
Name Census estimates that about 315 living Americans carry the first name Laretta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Laretta today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Laretta births was 1956 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Laretta. 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 Laretta is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Larettas were born before 1971.
People living today
315
~ 1 in 1,088,109 Americans
Peak year
1956
20 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,557
Tracked since 1909
Popularity
Laretta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Laretta from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 130 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Laretta 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 Laretta 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 Laretta
Laretta is a feminine given name derived from the Late Latin name Lauretta, which is a diminutive form of the name Laura. The name Laura itself originates from the Latin word "laurus," meaning "laurel." The laurel plant was associated with victory and honor in ancient Rome, where it was used to make crowns for military leaders and poets.
The earliest recorded use of the name Laretta dates back to the 13th century in Italy. During the Renaissance period, the name gained popularity across Europe, particularly in Italy and France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Laretta Petrucci, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 15th century and was known for her patronage of the arts.
In the 16th century, the name Laretta appeared in several literary works, including the play "La Calandria" by the Italian playwright Cardinal Bibbiena. The play featured a character named Laretta, which helped to further popularize the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Laretta. One of the most famous was Laretta Petrie Whipple (1839-1925), an American educator and philanthropist who founded the Whipple Academy in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Another notable bearer of the name was Laretta Adair Hendrix (1886-1975), an American writer and journalist who worked for various publications, including the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.
In the 20th century, Laretta Bode (1903-1990) was a Dutch-American artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings and her association with the New York School of artists.
Laretta Anderson (1914-1965) was an American actress who appeared in several films and television shows during the 1940s and 1950s, including the popular sitcom "I Love Lucy."
Laretta Ricciardelli (born 1958) is an Italian former professional tennis player who won several singles and doubles titles on the WTA Tour during her career.
While the name Laretta has roots in ancient Rome and gained popularity during the Renaissance, it has remained a relatively uncommon name throughout history. However, its connection to the laurel plant and its associations with victory, honor, and artistic expression have made it a distinctive and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Laretta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Laretta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Laretta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Laretta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 315 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Laretta 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 1,088,109 US residents.
Is Laretta a common name?
We classify Laretta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 655 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Laretta most popular?
The single biggest year for Laretta was 1956, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Laretta is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Laretta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Laretta 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.