Vonnetta
A feminine name derived from the French name Yvonne, possibly meaning "yew" or "archer".
Name Census estimates that about 73 living Americans carry the first name Vonnetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vonnetta today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vonnetta births was 1973 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vonnetta. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vonnetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
73
~ 1 in 4,695,265 Americans
Peak year
1973
21 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1981 SSA rank
#12,146
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Vonnetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vonnetta from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 76 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vonnetta 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 Vonnetta 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 Vonnetta
The name Vonnetta finds its roots in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a feminine form of the name Vonnett, which is derived from the German word "fon," meaning "from." This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname or a surname indicating one's place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vonnetta can be found in historical records from the 14th century, where it was used as a surname in various regions of present-day Germany. However, it is unclear when exactly the name transitioned from being a surname to a given name.
While there are no known direct references to the name Vonnetta in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that the name was influenced by the popularity of similar-sounding names in the region during the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vonnetta. One of the earliest recorded instances is Vonnetta von Wittelsbach (1472-1528), a German noblewoman from the House of Wittelsbach, who was known for her patronage of the arts and her influence in the court of the Holy Roman Empire.
Another prominent figure was Vonnetta Müller (1603-1675), a German scientist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of botany and horticulture during the 17th century.
In the 19th century, Vonnetta Schmidtke (1832-1912) was a German educator and advocate for women's rights, known for her work in promoting educational opportunities for girls and women in her home country.
Moving into the 20th century, Vonnetta Riggs (1905-1998) was an American artist and sculptor, renowned for her abstract works and her contributions to the development of modern art in the United States.
Lastly, Vonnetta McGee (1945-2010) was an American actress and model, best known for her roles in blaxploitation films of the 1970s, such as "Blacula" and "Truck Turner."
While the name Vonnetta may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and roots in German culture make it a unique and intriguing name with a storied past.
People
Vonnetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vonnetta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vonnetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vonnetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 73 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vonnetta 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 4,695,265 US residents.
Is Vonnetta a common name?
We classify Vonnetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 81 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vonnetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Vonnetta was 1973, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vonnetta is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vonnetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vonnetta 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.