Pretty
An English word used as a given name describing physical beauty or femininity.
Name Census estimates that about 102 living Americans carry the first name Pretty. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pretty today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pretty births was 2023 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pretty. 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
102
~ 1 in 3,360,337 Americans
Peak year
2023
10 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,050
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Pretty: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pretty from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 61 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Pretty remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pretty 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 Pretty 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 Pretty
Pretty is a relatively modern English name, derived from the adjective "pretty" which means attractive or pleasing in appearance. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "prættig," which was derived from the word "prætt" meaning trick or deceit.
The name Pretty was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for individuals who were considered physically attractive or had a pleasing appearance. It began to gain popularity as a given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pretty was in the United States in the late 19th century. Pretty Shield, a member of the Crow Nation, was born around 1856 and became known for her autobiographical accounts of life on the Great Plains.
Another notable figure named Pretty was Pretty Nose, a Cheyenne warrior and leader who fought against the United States Army in the 19th century. She played a significant role in the Battle of the Washita in 1868, where she helped lead a group of warriors against the attacking forces.
In literature, the name Pretty appears in the works of William Shakespeare. In "The Merry Wives of Windsor," one of the characters is referred to as "Pretty Mistress Anne Page."
A famous person with the name Pretty was Pretty Redfeather, a Native American actress and dancer born in 1931. She appeared in several films and television shows, including "Dances with Wolves" and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."
Another noteworthy individual was Pretty Shenandoah, a respected elder and spiritual leader of the Oneida Nation, born in 1925. She was known for her advocacy of Native American rights and her efforts to preserve and promote Indigenous cultures and traditions.
While the name Pretty may have its roots in describing physical appearance, it has evolved to become a unique and distinctive name with its own cultural significance, particularly within Native American communities.
People
Pretty + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pretty as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pretty: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pretty?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 102 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pretty 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 3,360,337 US residents.
Is Pretty a common name?
We classify Pretty as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 103 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pretty most popular?
The single biggest year for Pretty was 2023, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pretty is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pretty a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pretty 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.