Netty
A feminine diminutive form of the name Annette, from the Germanic name Annon.
Name Census estimates that about 30 living Americans carry the first name Netty. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Netty today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Netty births was 1920 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Netty. 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 Netty is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nettys were born before 1969.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Netty. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
30
~ 1 in 11,425,145 Americans
Peak year
1920
11 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,937
Tracked since 1913
Census
Netty in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 342 people with the first name Netty, which placed it at #26,967 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#26,967
National first-name rank
People counted
342
342 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
36.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Netty
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Netty is White at 36.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.7%) and Black (16.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Netty described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Netty at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White36.8% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino28.7% · 98
- Black or African American16.4% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.4% · 56
- Two or more races1.8% · 6
Popularity
Netty: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Netty from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Netty 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 Netty 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 Netty
The name Netty is a diminutive form of the name Netta, which is a Hebrew name derived from the word "netah," meaning "plant." It is a relatively modern name, first appearing in the late 19th century. The origin of the name can be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, where the word "netah" is used to refer to various plants and vegetation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Netty can be found in the United States Census records from the late 1800s. During this time period, the name was primarily used within Jewish communities, reflecting its Hebrew roots. As the 20th century progressed, the name gained popularity among other cultural groups as well.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Netty. One such person was Netty Radding (1884-1964), an American writer and educator known for her contributions to the field of children's literature. Another notable figure was Netty Muskett (1887-1964), an English novelist and playwright who wrote under the pen name Naomi Jacob.
In the realm of art, Netty Nijhuis (1914-2007) was a Dutch painter and sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement. Her vibrant and emotionally charged pieces are celebrated for their unique interpretation of the human form.
The name Netty also holds significance in the world of music. Netty Simons (1927-2004) was a Dutch singer and actress who achieved widespread popularity in the Netherlands during the mid-20th century. Her melodic voice and captivating stage presence earned her a dedicated following throughout her career.
Another notable bearer of the name was Netty Hemelrijk (1923-2008), a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. Her courageous efforts in aiding Jewish refugees and Allied soldiers in occupied Holland have been widely recognized and celebrated as a testament to her bravery and compassion.
While the name Netty may have originated from humble beginnings, its enduring presence throughout history serves as a testament to its versatility and appeal across various cultures and generations.
People
Netty + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Netty as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Netty: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Netty?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 30 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Netty 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 11,425,145 US residents.
Is Netty a common name?
We classify Netty as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 149 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Netty most popular?
The single biggest year for Netty was 1920, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Netty is about 67 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Netty in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 342 people with the name Netty, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #26,967 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Netty in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Netty?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Netty leans strongly female. 338 people counted with this name were female (95.5%), compared with 16 male bearers (4.5%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Netty?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Netty is White at 36.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.7%) and Black (16.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Netty most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Netty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 36.8% (126 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Netty in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Netty a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Netty 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 Netty still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Netty 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 Netty 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.
How many people share the name Netty?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.