Rennetta
A feminine name of undetermined origin, possibly a variant of Renata.
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Rennetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rennetta today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rennetta births was 1958 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rennetta. 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 Rennetta is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rennettas were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rennetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1958
7 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1964 SSA rank
#7,567
Tracked since 1949
Popularity
Rennetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rennetta from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Rennetta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rennetta 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 Rennetta 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 Rennetta
The given name Rennetta has its origins in the French language, deriving from the Latin name Renata, which means "reborn" or "revived." This name gained popularity in France during the Renaissance period, particularly among the aristocracy and upper classes.
Rennetta is a diminutive form of the French name Renée, which itself stems from the Latin Renata. The addition of the suffix "-etta" is a common practice in many Romance languages to create diminutive or endearing forms of names. This particular variation, Rennetta, is thought to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century.
While the name does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it does have a connection to the concept of rebirth and renewal, which was a significant theme during the Renaissance era. The name may have been chosen to symbolize a fresh start or a new beginning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rennetta can be found in the French court records from the late 16th century. Rennetta de Bourbon (1559-1631) was a noble woman from the House of Bourbon, a prominent French royal family. She was the daughter of Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, and served as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen of France.
Another notable figure was Rennetta Tyndale (1622-1688), an English writer and translator who was active during the 17th century. She is best known for her translation of the works of the French philosopher René Descartes into English.
In the 18th century, Rennetta Albrizzi (1753-1819) was an Italian writer and salonnière from Venice. She hosted one of the most influential literary salons in Europe, attracting many prominent intellectuals and artists of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, Rennetta Lodi (1816-1892) was an Italian operatic soprano who performed in many of the major opera houses across Europe, including La Scala in Milan and the Théâtre des Italiens in Paris.
Lastly, Rennetta Burgess (1882-1976) was an American educator and civil rights activist. She was one of the founders of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, the first African-American sorority in the United States, and played a crucial role in promoting education and social advancement for Black women.
People
Rennetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rennetta 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
Rennetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rennetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rennetta 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Rennetta a common name?
We classify Rennetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rennetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Rennetta was 1958, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rennetta is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Rennetta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rennetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rennetta 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 Rennetta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rennetta 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 Rennetta 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Rennetta?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Rennetta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.