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Maretta
How to Pronounce Maretta
Pronounced muh-RET-uh /məˈrɛtə/Medium
Meaning: Maretta is a pet elaboration of Mary or Margaret, formed with the Italian-style -etta ending, 'little'. Through Mary it reaches back to Hebrew Miryam, variously read as 'beloved', 'wished-for child' or 'sea of bitterness'; through Margaret it would mean 'pearl'. The Mary link is the likelier one, and the -etta softens it to 'little Mary'.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Maretta is a tender elaboration of Mary, built with the -etta suffix that turns a name into an endearment, 'little Mary'. It belongs to the family of -etta names American families favored, and appears in birth records across the early and mid twentieth century.
It stayed modest throughout, reaching only a couple dozen girls a year around 1950 before easing away. A Maretta from that time belongs to a grandmother's generation now, and the name keeps a gentle, old-fashioned warmth.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Maretta mean?
It's a pet form of Mary with an -etta ending, roughly 'little Mary'.
How do you pronounce Maretta?
It's said muh-RET-uh /məˈrɛtə/, three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Maretta a boy or girl name?
Maretta is used as a girl's name.
Is Maretta a popular name?
No, it was always modest, seen only in scattered use across the early and mid twentieth century.