Leta
Of unsettled origin, though it is commonly connected to the Latin laetus, meaning "glad," and it also serves as a short form of longer names ending in -leta.
Leta in 2025
Leta was given to 10 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 16,693rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 331,534 babies born.
The history of Leta
Leta reached its highest point in 1918, when 233 babies were given the name, ranking 816th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 490th, in 1898.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 11,944 babies have been named Leta. Half of them were born before 1932, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Leta by decade
| Decade | Babies named Leta | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 289 | 537 |
| 1890s | 666 | 490 |
| 1900s | 863 | 526 |
| 1910s | 1,663 | 645 |
| 1920s | 2,072 | 832 |
| 1930s | 1,587 | 837 |
| 1940s | 1,332 | 1,063 |
| 1950s | 1,439 | 1,205 |
| 1960s | 864 | 1,542 |
| 1970s | 426 | 2,832 |
| 1980s | 265 | 3,733 |
| 1990s | 156 | 6,816 |
| 2000s | 124 | 9,989 |
| 2010s | 119 | 9,971 |
| 2020s | 79 | 8,346 |
Where Leta is heading
Leta has risen 11% over the past decade, from 9 babies in 2015 to 10 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1918 peak — Leta is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Leta
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Leta.