Neta
A girl's name of Hebrew origin with 3,226 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
a female given name
Neta is a girl's baby name of Hebrew origin meaning 'plant' or 'sapling,' from the Hebrew neta (young plant, shrub). It is also a diminutive of various Hebrew names beginning with Ne-. The plant meaning celebrates the vitality of something new, green, and growing.
Plant-names celebrate growth, rootedness, and the green vitality of living things. Neta names a daughter for the tender, resilient quality of a young plant — something small that will grow large, something rooted that will reach upward toward light.
EtymologyShow more
Phonetically, Neta belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their open, warm ending — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. At two syllables, it has a two-beat rhythm that is easy to call across a room and natural in conversation.
Within the Hebrew naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Hebrew names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Neta’s linguistic neighborhood.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Neta has 109+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1881.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | #15870 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 36 | #14981 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 48 | #12085 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 17 | #13608 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 12 | #10186 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 38 | #7300 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 165 | #3518 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 362 | #1766 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 522 | #1165 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 490 | #1018 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 587 | #988 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 426 | #950 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 224 | #792 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 216 | #661 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 72 | #767 | — |
The Story of Neta
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1920, Neta is a name steeped in history. Girls named Neta are most likely born between 1910 and 1930.
How rare is Neta?
Only about 1 in every 720,000 babies born in 2024 was named Neta — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1881, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 587 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Neta by the numbers
- Would fill 67 school buses
- Meeting one Neta per day would take 8.8 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(109 years, 1881–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | #16936 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14803 |
| 2017 | 6 | #15409 |
| 2016 | 6 | #15693 |
| 2014 | 5 | #18474 |
| 2011 | 6 | #16231 |
| 2010 | 13 | #9097 |
| 2009 | 15 | #8343 |
| 2007 | 10 | #11408 |
| 2006 | 11 | #10410 |
| 2003 | 7 | #13432 |
| 2000 | 5 | #16832 |
| 1997 | 6 | #13248 |
| 1996 | 5 | #15148 |
| 1990 | 6 | #12427 |
| 1984 | 5 | #11605 |
| 1980 | 7 | #8767 |
| 1978 | 5 | #10885 |
| 1975 | 10 | #5837 |
| 1973 | 9 | #5901 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Neta a boy's or girl's name?
When was Neta most popular?
How popular is the name Neta?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1881–2024