Retta Mae as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Retta Mae

What is the meaning of the name Retta Mae ?

The baby name Retta Mae is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced RET-uh MAY (IPA: /ˈrɛtə meɪ/).

Retta Mae is English, Latin in Origin.

Retta Mae is an American double given name combining Retta - a clipped form of Loretta, Margaretta, or Henrietta - with Mae, the vintage spelling of May or a pet of Mary. Loretta derives from Laura, Latin laurus “laurel”; Margaretta from Greek margarites “pearl”; and Henrietta from Germanic heim + ric “home ruler.” Mae can reference the spring month named for the Roman Maia (“the great”), or echo Mary (Hebrew Miryam). Together the name suggests images like “laurel in May,” “pearl of spring,” or “beloved home-ruler.”

Used across the United States from the late 1800s through the 1930s, Retta Mae typifies the Southern and Appalachian habit of double names. It is uncommon today yet fits the revival of nickname-rich, retro choices. Variants and related forms include Retta-Mae, Retta May, Rhetta Mae, Etta Mae, Loretta Mae, and Henrietta Mae; nicknames include Retta, Mae, Ettie, and Rettie.

⚙ Nothing for Retta Mae shows up in the birth registries or name datasets we track. That usually points to a very rare, regional, or newly coined name. Whichever it is, scarcely anyone else carries it.