Raetta
A feminine name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 56 living Americans carry the first name Raetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raetta today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raetta births was 1942 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raetta. 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 Raetta is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Raettas were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Raetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
56
~ 1 in 6,120,613 Americans
Peak year
1942
8 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1972 SSA rank
#9,231
Tracked since 1937
Census
Raetta in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 136 people with the first name Raetta, which placed it at #47,733 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
#47,733
National first-name rank
People counted
136
136 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
89.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raetta
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Raetta is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Raetta 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 Raetta at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 121
- Black or African American5.9% · 8
- Two or more races2.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 1
Popularity
Raetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raetta from the 1930s through to the 1970s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 44 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
Raetta 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 Raetta 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 Raetta
The name Raetta is a unique and intriguing one, with a history that spans across multiple cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic language, where it is believed to have derived from the root word "rad," meaning "counsel" or "advice."
In the early medieval period, the name Raetta gained popularity among the Germanic tribes, particularly in regions such as modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It was often used as a feminine form of the masculine name Radulf or Radulf, which shared the same root word.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raetta can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 10th century. In this text, a noblewoman named Raetta is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spellings and adaptations. In the 12th century, a variation of the name, Radetta, appeared in the Cartulary of St. Edmund's Abbey in England, suggesting its presence in the Anglo-Saxon realm.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Raetta. One of the earliest recorded is Raetta von Bamberg (1220-1287), a German abbess and scholar known for her writings on religious philosophy. Another prominent figure was Raetta von Hessen (1339-1402), a German noblewoman and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in her region.
In the 16th century, Raetta Mazzolini (1521-1588), an Italian Renaissance scholar and humanist, gained recognition for her contributions to the study of classical literature. Her contemporaries praised her for her vast knowledge and eloquence.
Moving forward in time, Raetta Gillmore (1888-1963) was an American actress and vaudeville performer who graced the stages of Broadway and Hollywood during the early 20th century. Her career spanned several decades and earned her critical acclaim.
More recently, Raetta Bright (1923-2005) was a Canadian author and educator known for her work in promoting children's literature and literacy programs. Her efforts in engaging young minds through storytelling left a lasting impact on the educational landscape.
While the name Raetta has its roots in the ancient Germanic language, it has evolved and garnered recognition across various cultures and eras, leaving an indelible mark on history through the lives and accomplishments of those who have borne this unique moniker.
People
Raetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raetta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Raetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 56 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raetta 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 6,120,613 US residents.
Is Raetta a common name?
We classify Raetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 98 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Raetta was 1942, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raetta is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Raetta in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 136 people with the name Raetta, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #47,733 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 Raetta 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 Raetta?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Raetta appears almost entirely female. Of the 130 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Raetta?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Raetta is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Raetta most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Raetta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (121 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 Raetta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Raetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raetta 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 Raetta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Raetta 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 Raetta 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 have the name Raetta?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Raetta, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.