Total births
661
Girls' name · since 1909
Laretta
661 babies named Laretta in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #15397
- among girls today
- 661
- born since 1909
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other girls
661 babies have been named Laretta since 1909, making it today's #15397 girls' name.
Laretta has 661 recorded births among girls since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #15397 as of the latest data, more common than 13% of girls, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #15397 among girls today
- 661 born since 1909
- 1940s peak decade
- 13% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Laretta is currently the #15397 girls' name in America, more common than 13% of girls - 661 born since 1909, peaking in the 1940s.
- #15397
- among girls today
- 661
- born since 1909
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 13%
- more common than other girls
Laretta vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15397
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 13% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Laretta was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
20 babies were named Laretta in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Laretta compares
661 Top 39% higher than 61% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Laretta's all-time total is 73% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Laretta | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 661 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 48 | 19,840 |
Laretta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Laretta's SSA record in two at 1949 and the more recent half accounts for 47% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 53%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1909, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1956 peak of 20, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Laretta at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#15,397
Active since
1909
Laretta popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Laretta by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Laretta's strongest decade.
130 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Laretta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 28
1910s
28 births
- 1920s
1920s
86 births
- 1930s
1930s
114 births
- 1940s
1940s
130 births
- 1950s
1950s
119 births
- 1960s
1960s
85 births
- 1970s 40
1970s
40 births
- 1980s 26
1980s
26 births
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 130 births (20% of all-time use).
How Laretta compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Laretta's total volume
Laretta vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Laretta? ▼
661 babies have been named Laretta since 1909. It currently ranks #15397 among girls. The peak year was 1956 with 20 births.
When was Laretta most popular? ▼
Laretta was most popular in the 1940s decade with 130 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
How long has the name Laretta been used? ▼
Records for Laretta go back to 1909, giving 117 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Laretta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lara, Larissa, Larue, Larry, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Laretta's data
- Laretta's decade-level peak was the 1940s (130 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Laretta
Nearby Names Like Laretta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Laretta
Lara Girl
#741 30,168 births
Larissa Girl
#1611 23,498 births
Larue Girl
#10306 3,980 births
Larry Girl
3,560 births
Laraine Girl
#13570 3,478 births
Compare Laretta side by side: Laretta vs Lara Laretta vs Larissa Laretta vs Larue
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Laretta
Nadene #15396
1,895 births · Peak 1930
Liddy #15398
84 births · Peak 2004
Evelene #15395
752 births · Peak 1927
San #15399
1,876 births · Peak 1950
Jeraldine #15394
4,345 births · Peak 1942
Amparo #15400
3,316 births · Peak 1927
Coretta #15393
2,433 births · Peak 1968
Audre #15401
870 births · Peak 1927
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Laretta: #15397 Girls' Name - 661 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/laretta. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Laretta draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.