Ninette
A French diminutive form of the name Anne or Anna.
Name Census estimates that about 650 living Americans carry the first name Ninette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ninette today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ninette births was 1964 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ninette. 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
650
~ 1 in 527,314 Americans
Peak year
1964
28 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2022 SSA rank
#10,196
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Ninette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ninette from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 211 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ninette 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 Ninette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ninettes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ninette
The name Ninette is a French diminutive form of the name Ninine, which is derived from the name Anne. Anne itself has Hebrew origins, coming from the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favor." The name Ninette gained popularity in France during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Ninette was a common name among the French aristocracy and upper classes during this period. One notable figure named Ninette was Ninette de Valois, a famous French dancer and choreographer born in 1898. She was the founder of the Royal Ballet in London and made significant contributions to the world of ballet.
Another historical figure with the name Ninette was Ninette de Louvigny, a French noblewoman born in the late 17th century. She was known for her beauty and her role in the court of King Louis XIV of France.
In literature, the name Ninette appears in several works, including the 1872 novel "Ninette" by French author Émile Zola. The novel follows the life of a young woman named Ninette who struggles to make a living in Paris.
Moving to the 20th century, Ninette de Valois (1898-2001) was a renowned British ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. She founded the Sadler's Wells Ballet, which later became the Royal Ballet, and played a significant role in reviving and promoting ballet in Britain.
Ninette Griffith (1899-1981) was an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and films during the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for her vivacious performances and her talent as a comedienne.
While the name Ninette was more prevalent in France and other parts of Europe in the past, it has been less commonly used in recent times. However, its French roots and historical associations with the arts and aristocracy have contributed to its enduring charm and appeal as a feminine and delicate name.
People
Ninette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ninette 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
Ninette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ninette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 650 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ninette 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 527,314 US residents.
Is Ninette a common name?
We classify Ninette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 820 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ninette most popular?
The single biggest year for Ninette was 1964, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ninette is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ninette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ninette 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.