Etta Palm d’Aelders (1743-1799).
The name is usually a short form of any name that ends in the -etta element; in Swedish, it derives from Estrid (a form of Astrid).
An early documented use is borne by the Dutch feminist, Etta Palm d’Aelders (1743-1799).
It became a fairly popular independent given-name in Continental Europe and the United States by the mid 19th-century. The name appeared among the U.S. Top 100 Most Popular Female Names between 1880 & 1894, peaking at #72 in 1880. Etta fell out of the U.S. Top 1000 in 1966 and reappeared in 2017. She currently ranks in at #951 (2018), meanwhile, in England & Wales, she ranks in as the 298th Most Popular Female Name (2018).
It has been in use in German-speaking countries, the Netherlands, Italy & Scandinavia.
A notable American bearer was Etta James (borne Jamesetta 1938-2012).
Other forms include:
- Ætta (Old Norwegian)
- Ätta (Swedish)
- Ette (Scandinavian)
- Ettie/Etti (Scandinavian)
- Ettan (Swedish)
Sources