Total births
8,616
Girls' name · since 1880
Reta
8,616 babies named Reta in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1946. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 8,616
- total births
- 1880–1998
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
Reta sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 8,616 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Reta recorded 8,616 times among girls since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1998.
- 8,616 total births
- 1880–1998 years on record
- 1930s peak decade
- 19% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
8,616 girls have been named Reta since 1880, peaking in the 1930s, last recorded in 1998.
- 8,616
- total births
- 1880–1998
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
1930s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Reta was born in this single decade.
1946
Single peak year
192 babies were named Reta in 1946 - its busiest year on record.
Reta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Reta's full recorded timeline at 1940, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1946 peak of 192 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Reta at a glance
Last recorded 1998Peak year
1946
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Reta popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1998
- Peak year (1946)
- 192
- Annual births at peak, across 119 years of records
Reta by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Reta's strongest decade.
1,651 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Reta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 50
1880s
50 births
- 1890s 236
1890s
236 births
- 1900s 360
1900s
360 births
- 1910s
1910s
989 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,511 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,651 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,564 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,450 births
- 1960s 495
1960s
495 births
- 1970s 177
1970s
177 births
- 1980s 95
1980s
95 births
- 1990s 38
1990s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 1,651 births (19% of all-time use).
How Reta 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 Reta's total volume
Reta vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Reta by state
Where Reta concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 642 | 7.5% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 452 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 446 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 344 | 4.0% |
| #5 | New York | | 308 | 3.6% |
| #6 | West Virginia | | 295 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 274 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 217 | 2.5% |
Texas share of Reta's total US births 7.5%
Even split
642 of 8,616 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Reta appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Reta? ▼
8,616 babies have been named Reta since 1880. It was last recorded in 1998. The peak year was 1946 with 192 births.
When was Reta most popular? ▼
Reta was most popular in the 1930s decade with 1,651 total births. The single peak year was 1946.
Where is Reta most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Reta are Texas (642 births), Oklahoma (452 births), Missouri (446 births).
How long has the name Reta been used? ▼
Records for Reta go back to 1880, giving 119 years of history through 1998.
What names are similar to Reta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Retha, Retta, Retal, Retaj, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Reta's data
- Reta's decade-level peak was the 1930s (1,651 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Retas (642 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- 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 Reta
Nearby Names Like Reta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Reta
Retha Girl
10,597 births
Retta Girl
#12164 3,399 births
Retal Girl
#4031 341 births
Retaj Girl
#9406 244 births
Rettie Girl
163 births
Compare Reta side by side: Reta vs Retha Reta vs Retta Reta vs Retal
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–1998 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Reta: Baby Name Since 1880 - 8,616 Births, Peak 1946." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/reta. 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 Reta 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.