Neketa
A variation of Nichette, of unknown origin.
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Neketa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neketa today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neketa births was 1975 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neketa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Neketa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1975
9 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1987 SSA rank
#8,497
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Neketa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neketa from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 22 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Neketa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neketa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Neketa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Neketa
The name Neketa is of ancient Egyptian origin, deriving from the word "nekhtet," which means "strong" or "mighty." It was a popular name during the reign of the pharaohs, particularly in the New Kingdom period (c. 1550-1070 BCE). The name was often bestowed upon male children born into noble families or those destined for greatness.
One of the earliest known references to the name Neketa can be found in the Pyramid Texts, a collection of ancient Egyptian religious literature inscribed on the walls of pyramids dating back to around 2400 BCE. These texts contain spells and incantations believed to aid the deceased pharaoh's journey to the afterlife.
Throughout ancient Egyptian history, several notable individuals bore the name Neketa. One such figure was Neketa, a high-ranking official and vizier during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (c. 1388-1351 BCE). He oversaw the construction of the famous Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues depicting Amenhotep III that still stand in Luxor today.
Another prominent Neketa was a skilled architect and engineer who lived during the 18th Dynasty (c. 1550-1295 BCE). He played a crucial role in designing and overseeing the construction of several magnificent temples, including the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.
In the realm of literature, Neketa was the name of a revered scribe who authored several important texts on astronomy, mathematics, and the philosophy of life. His works were widely studied and referenced by scholars throughout ancient Egypt.
During the Ptolemaic period (c. 332-30 BCE), a general named Neketa led the Egyptian forces in several decisive battles against foreign invaders, earning him a reputation as a courageous and skilled military leader.
In more recent times, the name Neketa has been less common, although there have been a few notable individuals who bore this ancient Egyptian moniker. One example is Neketa Witschi, a Swiss-born artist and sculptor who lived in the early 20th century and was known for her innovative use of mixed media in her works.
People
Neketa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neketa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Neketa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neketa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neketa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Neketa a common name?
We classify Neketa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 35 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neketa most popular?
The single biggest year for Neketa was 1975, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neketa is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Neketa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Neketa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neketa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Neketa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Neketa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Neketa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Neketa as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.