Explore the Family Name Retta

The meaning of Retta

1. Ethiopian: from the personal name Retta, which is interpreted as ‘he won’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 2. Italian: feminine short form of any of several personal names ending with the diminutive suffix -retto.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Retta in the United States?

According to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Retta has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 62,236 in terms of commonality, but by 2010, it had climbed to a rank of 54,864, marking an 11.85% change. The count of people with this surname also grew from 301 in 2000 to 375 in 2010, a significant increase of 24.58%. Similarly, the proportion of people bearing the Retta surname per 100,000 individuals rose by 18.18% during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#62,236#54,86411.85%
Count30137524.58%
Proportion per 100k0.110.1318.18%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Retta

Data from the Decennial U.S. Census also reveals shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Retta from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, those who identified as White accounted for 34.55%, but this figure dropped to 25.87% in 2010. Similarly, the portion identifying as Hispanic decreased from 34.55% to 30.93% during this time frame. However, there was a notable increase among those who identified as Black, climbing from 26.91% in 2000 to 42.13% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained at zero throughout, while the count of those reporting two or more races fell from 2.66% to zero during this decade.

20002010Change
Black26.91%42.13%56.56%
Hispanic34.55%30.93%-10.48%
White34.55%25.87%-25.12%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races2.66%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%