Find out how popular the last name Etta is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Etta.

Etta, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Etta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Etta in America

Etta is the 92719th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Etta surname appeared 198 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Etta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Etta to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Etta

The surname "Etta" is believed to have originated in Italy, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "etta," which means a small or diminutive form of something. This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname or a shortened version of a longer name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Etta" can be found in the historical records of the city of Siena, Italy, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a certain Guido Etta is mentioned as a landowner and prominent citizen of the city.

During the Renaissance period, the name "Etta" appeared in several Italian Renaissance works of art and literature, indicating that it was a relatively common surname among the Italian nobility and upper classes. For instance, a fresco painting in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, created by the artist Ghirlandaio in the late 15th century, depicts a nobleman named Lorenzo Etta.

In the 16th century, the name "Etta" can be found in the chronicles of the city of Venice, where a family by that name was involved in the trading and shipbuilding industries. One notable figure from this family was Marco Etta, a Venetian merchant and explorer who is said to have traveled to the Far East in the late 1500s.

As the centuries progressed, the surname "Etta" spread beyond Italy to other parts of Europe, particularly to France and Spain, where it may have been influenced by local language and cultural variations. One notable bearer of the name was the Spanish painter Juan Etta, who lived and worked in Madrid during the 17th century.

In more recent times, the name "Etta" has been associated with several notable individuals, such as the American blues singer Etta James (1938-2012), whose real name was Jamesetta Hawkins. However, it is important to note that this was her given name and not her surname.

Throughout its history, the surname "Etta" has maintained a strong connection to its Italian roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from nobility and artists to merchants and explorers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Etta

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Etta.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Etta was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Etta has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Etta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Etta, please contact us.

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