Electa
A girl's name of Latin origin with 1,181 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
At 6 letters and three syllables, Electa hits the middle ground most parents look for: long enough to feel complete, short enough for everyday use. It has been used as a girl's name in the U.S. since 1880, with 1,181 total recorded births.
Electa is not in the current top 1,000, which means your child is unlikely to share the name with a classmate — a plus for parents who value distinctiveness.
Electa is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.
Electa is a girl's baby name of Latin origin, from the Latin electa meaning 'chosen, the chosen one.' It is the feminine past participle of eligere (to elect, to choose), giving it a meaning of selection and divine favor — the one who has been chosen.
Most common in the United States between the 1880s and 1920s, Electa was popular in New England and religious communities where classical Latin names carried weight. It has an austere elegance — a single word that carries enormous meaning, the sense of being set apart and specially selected.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Electa's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Electa follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Electa's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Electa has 97+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 19 | #14740 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 5 | #16198 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 11 | #13484 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 32 | #9414 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 22 | #9044 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 46 | #5765 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 110 | #3874 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 83 | #3496 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 80 | #2772 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 193 | #2130 | ▼ |
| 1910s | 238 | #1352 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 139 | #1107 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 132 | #882 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 71 | #857 | — |
The Story of Electa
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1918, Electa is a name steeped in history. Girls named Electa are most likely born between 1908 and 1928.
How rare is Electa?
With 1,181 total births on record, Electa remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1910s with 238 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Electa by the numbers
- Would fill 25 school buses
- Meeting one Electa per day would take 3.2 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(97 years, 1880–2016)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 | #13304 |
| 2011 | 6 | #15393 |
| 2010 | 6 | #15523 |
| 2002 | 5 | #16198 |
| 1999 | 6 | #13173 |
| 1991 | 5 | #13795 |
| 1986 | 5 | #11455 |
| 1985 | 6 | #9653 |
| 1984 | 6 | #9465 |
| 1982 | 6 | #9552 |
| 1980 | 9 | #6945 |
| 1979 | 6 | #9320 |
| 1977 | 5 | #10059 |
| 1974 | 5 | #9151 |
| 1971 | 6 | #7647 |
| 1967 | 6 | #6239 |
| 1966 | 7 | #5414 |
| 1965 | 6 | #6002 |
| 1964 | 8 | #5141 |
| 1963 | 7 | #5479 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Electa a boy's or girl's name?
When was Electa most popular?
How popular is the name Electa?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2016