Mettie

A girl's name of Danish origin with 1,031 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

Mettie peaked during early twentieth-century America, when 30 babies received this name in a single year (1918). That era was defined by heritage-rooted naming, and Mettie has since stepped out of the spotlight, giving it a vintage quality that many parents now find appealing.

Mettie is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.

Mettie is a girl's baby name of Danish origin, a Scandinavian diminutive of Margareta — the Danish form of Margaret, from the Greek meaning 'pearl.' In Denmark and Norway, Mette and its diminutive Mettie were affectionate short forms of the beloved Margareta, giving the precious gem name an intimate, everyday quality.

Most common in Danish-American and Scandinavian-American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mettie has the warm, informal character of a name that was spoken daily with genuine affection — compact, bright, and entirely unpretentious.

EtymologyShow more

Phonetically, Mettie belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their bright, approachable ending — giving the name a friendly, informal feel. At one syllable, it has a punchy, memorable cadence that makes an immediate impression.

Within the Danish naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Danish names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Mettie’s linguistic neighborhood.

At a Glance

1,031

Total births

Since 1880

1918

Peak

30 births

1880

First recorded

69 years of data

Compare Mettie with another name

Popularity Over Time

Mettie has 68+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.

First appeared: 1880Peak: 1918 (30 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Mettie
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1940s	67	#3762	▼
1930s	114	#2680	▼
1920s	180	#2220	▲
1910s	174	#1701	▲
1900s	165	#980	▼
1890s	202	#700	▲
1880s	129	#615	—

The Story of Mettie

A Greatest Generation name

Peaking in 1918, Mettie is a name steeped in history. Girls named Mettie are most likely born between 1908 and 1928.

How rare is Mettie?

With 1,031 total births on record, Mettie remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1880, peaked in the 1890s with 202 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.

Mettie by the numbers

Would fill 21 school buses
Meeting one Mettie per day would take 2.8 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(68 years, 1880–1948)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Mettie
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1948	5	#5773	-1 (-16.7%)
1946	6	#4802	-3 (-33.3%)
1945	9	#3310	-1 (-10.0%)
1944	10	#3090	-1 (-9.1%)
1943	11	#2980	+4 (57.1%)
1942	7	#4002	-1 (-12.5%)
1941	8	#3459	-3 (-27.3%)
1940	11	#2677	+1 (10.0%)
1939	10	#2867	+1 (11.1%)
1938	9	#3109	0
1937	9	#3091	-1 (-10.0%)
1936	10	#2800	0
1935	10	#2869	-1 (-9.1%)
1934	11	#2679	-2 (-15.4%)
1933	13	#2365	0
1932	13	#2455	0
1931	13	#2384	-3 (-18.8%)
1930	16	#2177	+4 (33.3%)
1929	12	#2687	-11 (-47.8%)
1928	23	#1762	+7 (43.8%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mettie a boy's or girl's name?

Mettie is primarily a girl's name.

When was Mettie most popular?

Mettie reached its peak popularity in 1918 with 30 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Mettie?

Mettie is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 1,031 babies in the U.S. since 1880. Its peak was in 1918.

Explore More

By Length6-letter names By OriginDanish names By EndingNames in -e TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–1948