Find out how popular the first name Letty has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Letty by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Letty is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 149 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Letty.

The history of the first name Letty

The given name Letty is a diminutive form of the name Letitia, which has its origins in the Late Latin name Laetitia. Laetitia was a feminine form of the masculine name Laetitius, derived from the Latin word "laetitia," meaning joy, happiness, or gladness. The name Letty can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, when it emerged as a shortened version of Letitia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Letty can be found in the medieval English text, "The Brut" by Layamon, written around 1200 AD. In this work, the name is spelled as "Lette," which is believed to be an early variant of Letty. Another early reference to the name can be found in the 14th-century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," where a character named "Lady Lette" is mentioned.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Letty. One such person was Letty Lind (1820-1887), a Swedish opera singer who achieved international fame during the 19th century. Another notable Letty was Letty Cowie (1890-1983), a Scottish philanthropist and feminist who campaigned for women's rights and founded the Letty Cowie Youth Centre in Edinburgh.

In the literary world, the name Letty has been used for fictional characters, such as Letty Foxton in the novel "The Vicar of Bullhampton" by Anthony Trollope (1870), and Letty Mayberry in the novel "Letty's Treasure" by Mary S. Blanchard (1899). Additionally, the name has been associated with historical figures like Letty Lind (1807-1892), an English philanthropist who founded the Royal Seamen's Hospital Society, and Letty Perceval (1784-1868), an English writer and political activist.

Another notable bearer of the name was Letty Lynton (1894-1976), an American silent film actress and dancer who appeared in several films during the 1920s. In more recent times, the name Letty has been carried by individuals like Letty Russell (born 1933), an American actress and singer, and Letty Cottin Pogrebin (born 1939), an American author and feminist advocate.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Letty was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Letty, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!