Wiletta
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a combination of Wilhemina and Henrietta.
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Wiletta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wiletta today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wiletta births was 1921 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wiletta. 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 Wiletta is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wilettas were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wiletta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1921
9 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1945 SSA rank
#4,544
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Wiletta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wiletta from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 50 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wiletta 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 Wiletta 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 Wiletta
The name Wiletta is an English feminine given name derived from the Germanic elements "wil" meaning "will or desire" and "hild" meaning "battle." It likely emerged as a variant of the name Wilhemina during the Middle Ages in parts of Europe where Germanic languages were spoken.
The earliest known record of the name Wiletta dates back to the 13th century in England. One of the first documented individuals with this name was Wiletta of Huntingdon, a noblewoman who lived in the late 12th/early 13th century. She was known for her involvement in local politics and philanthropic efforts.
In the 14th century, a Wiletta von Esslingen is mentioned in German historical records as a prominent figure in the city of Esslingen am Neckar, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. She is believed to have been a wealthy merchant and landowner.
During the Renaissance period, a famous Italian painter named Wiletta Veneziano (1470-1542) gained recognition for her portraits and religious works. She was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve widespread acclaim.
In the 17th century, Wiletta Margaretha von Seidlitz (1628-1701) was a German noblewoman and diarist who chronicled her experiences during the Thirty Years' War. Her writings provide valuable insights into the lives of women in that era.
Moving into the 19th century, Wiletta Huggins (1838-1912) was an American abolitionist and women's rights activist. She worked closely with prominent figures like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, advocating for the abolition of slavery and women's suffrage.
While the name Wiletta has declined in popularity in recent times, it continues to carry a rich historical legacy, reflecting the strength and determination associated with its Germanic roots.
People
Wiletta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wiletta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wiletta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wiletta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wiletta 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Wiletta a common name?
We classify Wiletta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 76 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wiletta most popular?
The single biggest year for Wiletta was 1921, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wiletta is about 84 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 Wiletta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wiletta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wiletta 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 Wiletta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wiletta 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 Wiletta 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 many people are named Wiletta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.