Declining since 2020.
Popularity of Rett since 1958
Babies named Rett per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2013, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Rett's real moment was 1976.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 7 |
| 1960s | 12 |
| 1970s | 12 |
| 1980s | 18 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 22 |
| 2010s | 38 |
| 2020s | 28 |
Meaning & origin
Rett is a rare masculine name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1958. It reached its highest usage in 1976, but has never entered the national top 1,000 rankings. The name's trajectory has been falling since 2020, with fewer than five annual births in recent years. Rett is most likely a variant of Brett or a clipped form of longer names like Everett. Despite its obscurity, the name has a simple, modern sound that fits alongside other short surname-style names such as Grant and Blair. Its unisex potential is limited, as it is given almost exclusively to boys.
Rett is likely a variant of Brett or a nickname derived from longer names such as Everett. Brett originated as a surname denoting someone from Brittany, France, and has been used as a given name since the mid-20th century. Rett as an independent name first appeared in U.S. records in the late 1950s, but it remained rare. Its usage peaked in the 1970s, possibly influenced by the character Captain R. T. 'Rett' Butler in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (1936), though that character is usually called Rhett.
Sibling names for Rett
Names that share Rett's style, for a brother or sister.
