Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Etna since 1880
Babies named Etna per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1923, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Etna's real moment was 1882.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 88 |
| 1890s | 101 |
| 1900s | 90 |
| 1910s | 151 |
| 1920s | 127 |
| 1930s | 70 |
| 1940s | 38 |
| 1950s | 11 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Etna is a rare place name drawn from the iconic Mount Etna, the active volcano on the island of Sicily. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1880, and its peak year was 1882, though even then it was never common. By 2025, its rank had fallen to 14942, with only about 1 in 321453 girls receiving the name. The name has remained remarkably stable in obscurity, with no notable revival or sharp decline in the modern era. Etna has never been strongly associated with any U.S. state, appearing sporadically across the country. As a volcanic place name, it shares a style with other rare geographical names, but its mountainous and fiery imagery makes it distinct.
Etna is taken directly from the name of Mount Etna, the famous active volcano on the island of Sicily. The mountain's name is of uncertain ancient origin, possibly from a pre-Indo-European root meaning 'to burn' or from the Greek 'aitho' (to burn). As a given name, Etna was occasionally used in the English-speaking world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, likely inspired by the volcano's dramatic reputation. Its use has been rare in recent decades.
Sibling names for Etna
Names that share Etna's style, for a brother or sister.
