Holding steady.
Popularity of Retina since 1959
Babies named Retina per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 59 |
| 1970s | 79 |
| 1980s | 15 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Retina is a rare and modern American name that first appeared in Social Security records in 1959. It has never entered the top 1000, and its trajectory has remained stable at very low usage. The name's peak year was 1974, when it saw its highest number of recorded births, but it has never had more than a handful per year. Its origins are likely a blend of the fashionable -ina ending and similarity to names like Regina, rather than any classical derivation. Because it does not appear in traditional naming sources, its meaning remains speculative. Retina is almost exclusively given to girls, and its top states of use have been too sparse to report statistically.
The name Retina first appeared in the United States in 1959, during a period when inventive coinages and feminine names ending in -ina were fashionable. It may have been formed from the Latin 'rete' meaning net, but the primary influence is likely the sound of names like Regina combined with the popular suffix. There is no established historical or linguistic root beyond its modern usage.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ret, Retti, Tina
Sibling names for Retina
Names that share Retina's style, for a brother or sister.
