Names ending in ette

There was a time when French names like Annette, Paulette – and Nanette – were chic, but now, we'd have to say "No, no, Nanette".

Frenchified name rarely used in France. And perhaps even more rarely used in the US -- there were NO baby girls given the name on the official records of 2021.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

Unisex variant of Everett, influenced by famous bearers like entrepreneur Everette Taylor and country musician Leon Everette. While Everett is overwhelmingly male, Everette is used for two boys for every girl and is relatively rare, given to fewer than 100 babies of each gender.

The R in Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands for Robinette, the President's paternal grandmother's maiden name. In Medieval France, Robinette was used as a feminine given name derived from the male form Robinet and later became a matronymic surname via Robine.

Relic of a past period of French favorites, out to pasture with Claudette and Paulette.

This is a Scandinavian variant of Margaret, and is pronounced MEH-teh or MET, rhyming with jet.

Originally used as a diminutive of Marguerite, this French term of endearment is super-rare as a given name in France, but could make for a sweet alternative to Mia in English-speaking countries. A variation is Mietta.

A less common relic of the Claudette-Paulette-Annette era.

Suzette has a kind of clunky retro charm – so kitsch it's almost cool again.

Although we think Scarlett is plenty feminine enough without the girly -ette suffix, this variation entered the US Top 1000 in 2011, where it remained for more than a decade. In 2023, it dropped off the list, however, it was still given to 240 girls that same year.

The traditional Scarlett is used 26 times more often its more elaborate counterpart, but Scarlette could could have the plus side of drawing people's eyes away from the "Scar" syllable and onto the second part of the name. For anyone hoping to use nickname Lettie, Ettie, or Etta - or plan to use it to honor a Charlotte - this form could be more appealing.

Many popular Dutch short forms are drawn from the middle or end of their proper name: Sanne from Susanne, Bas from Sebastian. Jette could be from a name like Henriette or Mariette.

While Everett is overwhelmingly male -- more than 4000 baby boys were named Everett in the US last year versus fewer than 100 baby girls -- spelling Everette makes the name more gender-neutral. While there are still twice as many baby boys named Everette as baby girls, the name is relatively rare for both genders, with fewer than 100 babies of each gender given this spelling.

Not quite Nanette and not quite Ninon, this is one of the more unusual 'ette' options. There was an eponymous Spanish film, starring Elsa Pataky, based on a novel.

Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.

Short form found in historical records, feels a tad feminine for modern times.

Whether you spell it Lisette or Lizette, a somewhat dated diminutive that nevertheless retains some charm.