Girl names ending in et are the It Girls of the twenty-first century.
The term “It Girl” dates to the early 1900s. Clara Bow was called an It Girl. So were Diana Ross, Ali McGraw, Winona Ryder, Halle Berry, and more famous faces. They were rising stars, known for their beauty as well as their fame.
But while their names run the gamut, girl names ending in et and ette share certain qualities.
They sound distinctively feminine, but not nearly as frilly as the girl names ending with lia or ella.
The ette ending girl names tend to be French, but names on this list come from all over the world.
POPULAR GIRL NAMES ENDING IN ET AND ETTE
They’re the leaders of the pack, the most popular of the group.
COLETTE
We all recognize Colette, short for Nicolette, which comes from Nicole. But it’s far less common than some of the et options, which might make it even more appealing.
JULIET and JULIETTE
Add them together, and Juliet/te is a pretty popular name. Juliette ranks in the Top 200 and is climbing fast; Juliet follows in the Top 300.
MARGARET
Does it count as an et name? Let’s say yes, because it’s a classic that benefits from the distinctive ending sound.
SCARLETT
Speaking of It Girls, Scarlett Johansson put her colorful name on parents’ radar. Scarlet and Scarlette are seen, too, but the -ett ending is undeniably tops.
VIOLET
Another favorite -et ender, Violet has been boosted by botanical and color associations. And, of course, there’s Downton Abbey’s delightfully acid-tongue Dowager Duchess.
FAMILIAR ET ENDING GIRL NAMES
Many of these names have had a good run in the past. Some of them could be ripe for revival! Others wait just beneath the radar, emerging possibilities that could be the next big thing.
ANNETTE
A Baby Boomer name, thanks in part to the most famous Mouseketeer, the late Annette Funicello. It’s a French diminutive for the classic Anne.
ANTOINETTE
Sofia Coppola’s 2006 movie showed us a different side of Marie Antoinette. But literary Antonia and elaborate Antonella are the favored feminine forms of Anthony right now.
BERNADETTE
Saintly and, thanks to The Big Bang Theory, brainy, Bernadette peaked in the 1940s. Rich with nicknames and boosted by the et ending, it feels like a candidate for revival.
BRIDGET
Irish heritage picks like Maeve are climbing. Bridget, Bridgette, Brigitte, and other forms of this international name remain surprisingly rare.
CLAUDETTE
If silver screen names like Ava and Audrey appeal, then why not Claudette? Claudette Colbert starred in many a Hollywood favorite, earning an Oscar for It Happened One Night in 1934.
COSETTE
From the pages of Les Mis to Broadway and the big screen, Cosette probably has origins in an affectionate nickname, rather than a given name. But if Colette and Cosima are possibilities, why not Cosette?
DANETTE
Danielle remains the most popular feminine form of Daniel, but Danette has seem some use, too.
EVOLET
A name invented for stone age fantasy flick 10,000 BC, Evolet is “the love” spelled backwards, minus the h. With Everly, Evelyn, and more Ev names for girls rising, Evolet holds some promise.
GEORGETTE
Georgia is a favorite for many parents, but add the -ette ending, and this feels like a sparky, retro alternative to Juliette. Nicknames Gigi and Georgie are a plus.
HARRIET
A feminine form of Henry less elaborate than Henrietta, Harriet feels sensible and grounded. Nickname Hattie ranks in the US Top 1000, but Harriet might not be far behind.
JANET
Janet Leigh was the It Girl of an earlier generation, her star turn in Psycho impossible to forget. Then came Janet Jackson. But this feminine form of John peaked in the 1940s, making Janet more likely to be the grandmother than the newborn today.
JEANETTE
The French Jeanette must have been the height of glamour in the 1930s.
LILIBET
Originally a pet name for Elizabeth, this name made waves when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed daughter Lilibet Diana in June of 2021. Her great-grandmother is, of course, Queen Elizabeth – who was called Lilibet as a child.
MARIETTE
A frilly French diminutive of Marie, it was the name of Catherine Zeta-Jones’ character from The Darling Buds of May. The story was that Mariette’s dad wanted to name her Marie Antoinette, but decided it was a bit much – so they smooshed it together and came up with this instead.
NANETTE
No, No, Nanette became a Broadway hit in the roaring 20s. Nanette was the It Girl of the musical romp, and it was a good choice – nicely ahead of the fashion curve, popularized by the musical and a pair of big screen adaptations. Today Nanette feels vintage – and, possibly thanks to fashion designer Nanette Lepore – not quite so dated.
NICOLETTE
An elaboration of 1980s favorite Nicole, actor Nicollette Sheridan kept her name in the spotlight. The name’s peak coincides with her star turn as Paige on Knot’s Landing in the 90s.
ODETTE
Odette has graced the lists of hipster baby names, and it has an effortlessly cool vibe. The name of the white swan in Swan Lake as well as a hero of the French Resistance during World War II, Odette is authentically French and nicely artistic. It’s daring, but wearable in our age of girl names ending in et.
PAULETTE
This one is a little more common than Danette, but another example of the -ette as feminine ending. Ziegfield Girl-turned-Hollywood actress Paulette Goddard – born Marion Pauline – lends it some retro glam.
SUZETTE
French and frilly, and reminiscent of Crêpe Suzette – a recipe calling for liqueur and a lighter – Suzette might be less wearable than Susannah today.
YVETTE
Also spelled Ivette, it’s as authentically French as Odette, but has more of a mid-century vibe.
WORD NAMES ENDING IN ET
They’re daring, even daffy. But some of them could wear well in 2014’s anything-goes naming environment. P.S. If the name appears in blue, click it to read the complete Baby Name of the Day post for that name!
ALOUETTE
The French word for a meadow lark, Alouette is familiar to all from the children’s song.
AVOCET
A long-legged wading bird, and a character name from Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
BLUEBONNET
A flower name much less familiar than Lily or Rose.
CRICKET
Part-preppy nickname name, Cricket feels at home in the 1980s, wearing pearls and Patagonia with Muffy. Then Busy Phillips welcomed a daughter called Cricket, little sister to Birdie. Lately, it seems more like an edgy nature name.
A sparkling gemstone name, Garnet comes in many colors – though we often think of it as dark red. That brings to mind et ending chart-topper Scarlett.
KISMET
Kismet would make a bold name, but then again, Destiny has been a popular choice for girls in recent years. It means fate, from the Arabic qismah.
LINNET
Bird names are big, and Linnet could fit right in with Lark and Wren – a small songbird. Of course, Linnet also feels like a respelling of Lynette, which is less like a modern noun name and more along the lines of Annette and Jeanette.
POET
Literally literary names are a trendlet, with kids answering to Story and Legend and Fable, too. Why not Poet? Soleil Moon Frye has a daughter named Poet Sienna Rose – and a son named Lyric.
SONNET
Another word name, a type of poetry. Sonnet might be one of the most wearable rare girl names ending in et.
VELVET
Enid Bagnold gave this name to a young heroine in her 1935 novel National Velvet. In 1944, a very young Elizabeth Taylor rose to stardom in the role. But it wasn’t until the television adaptation in the 1960s that Velvet had a moment of popularity as a girls’ name, appearing in the US Top 1000 from 1961 through 1964.
RARE GIRL NAMES ENDING IN ET
If Kismet and Velvet aren’t out-there enough for you, here are some more girl names ending with et, all of which are rare, rare, rare. P.S. If the name appears in blue, click it to read the complete Baby Name of the Day post for that name!
ADERET
It’s a Hebrew name, possibly meaning given cape, crown, or glorious.
ALETTE
An uncommon form of Adelaide, Alette feels light and airy.
ANICETTE
A French name from a Greek work meaning invincible.
Another Hebrew name, this one sounds a little bit like “I yell it” and means gazelle. But there’s a celestial aspect to Ayelet, too. The morning star is also known as the “gazelle of the dawn.”
ELIETTE
It looks like a creative spin on Elliott, meant to make it feminine. But it is a French name, from their form of Elijah.
INGARET
A reader favorite, Ingaret is most likely a cousin to the Welsh Angharad, with the amazing meaning “much loved.” But Inga is a very common name element in Old Norse – and in Scandi languages today – so it’s possible there’s more than one story behind this name.
ISABETTE
There’s Elizabeth and Isabella and the Italian Elisabetta. Isabette is rare, but a possibility in our age of Isobel and Eliza.
LUNETTE
It’s most likely a form of the Arthurian Eluned, but with Luna in vogue, it seems like another moon-inspired name.
MARET
Maret is a contracted form of Margaret, also spelled Marit, and heard in Scandinavia and the Baltic states. While this name has never cracked the US Top 1000, it feels spare and modern, but carries all the history of the regal, saintly Margaret.
MIETTE
A sweet name, a spin on the super-popular Mia, but also a French word meaning crumb. It’s used as a term of affection, and there’s a lively debate about whether Miette is too cutesy and dismissive to be used as a child’s name. Think of it as a form of Mia, though, and there’s less of a concern.
YAMILET
In Spanish, the Arabic Jamila – beautiful – becomes Yamila. And Yamilet – as well as Yamileth – are variant forms in use in Latin America.
What do you think of girl names ending in et? Do you prefer ette? Are there any names missing from this list?
First published on August 1, 2014, this post was revised and updated on August 8, 2020.
My grandmother was Jean Danette, she went by Danette her whole life. I’m a Miette, seeing my name made me so happy!
Lucette!
Lisette and Ninette (the name of a childhood friend of French parentage) are my favourites, along with Lynette for its Arthurian feel. The only one I’d use (and then only in the middle name spot) is Lisette.
I am surprised that the name Pierrette was not on your list! My friends call me Pierro!
I think Annabette looks and sounds quite pretty. I think I prefer it as Annabett, though. The only person I can think of with an -ette name is my friend Bridgette, which is quite an exception because it’s pronounced “it” not “et” unlike most -ette names. I do love “Bridgette” though, as she told me it’s a combination of French Bridget and German Birgitte, since she was born in Germany and her mother speaks French.
my name is D’Ette , now there’s one not on this list. and if you google it, there are a few, I have been told it means little feminine and also/ or summer
Interestingly enough, in French -et signifies a masculine diminutive. This was particularly used during the Renaissance but is now obsolete. Examples of this include Henriquet (Henri) and Jacquet (Jacques).
Other French -ette names:
Anicette (feminization of Anicet, a Greek name meaning “invincible”)
Éliette (feminization of Élie, French for of Elijah)
Fadette (character in La Petite Fadette)
Fanchette (character in the play Le Mariage de Figaro)
Georgiette (feminization of Georges)
Guillemette (feminization of Guillaume, French form of William)
Huguette (feminization of Hugues, French form of Hugh)
Moïsette (feminization of Moïse, French form of Moses)
Nicette (see Anicette)
Rosanette (character in L’Éducation sentimentale, a portmanteau of Rose-Annette)
Sagette (character in La Petite Fadette)
Zerbinette (Egyptian character in Moliére’s Les Fourberies de Scapin)
Like miette, there are plenty of French words that end with -ette, like … jouet (“toy”), amourette (“crush”), alouette (“lark”), sonnette (“bell”), pommette (“cheekbone”), massette (“bullrush”), and bouquet. Also, “et” or “ette” in French can be added as suffix to mean a smaller version. Examples of this include jardinet (“little garden”), chevrette (“goat kid”), fillette (“little girl”), brunette (“little girl with dark hair”), and oiselet (“birdie”).
Bonnet (or Bluebonnet, the bird), Fauvette, Fulvetta, Mignonette, and Sonnet are some English word names that end with -et/-ette. Also, Buket is a name used in Turkey, meaning “posy”.
Thank you so much for the information and the great list, Andrea! Anicette is gorgeous … and how could I forget Sonnet? Love that name, as well as Sonnette from your word list.
Others I like are Florette / Fleurette and Viviette! I love Etta as a nickname possibility, or by itself.
I love these names, and, as I’ve said before, I think -ette could be the next -lyn and -ley trend.
I love Lynnette (but linnet is an ointment).
I really hope you’re right! -ette (and -et) are infinitely more pretty and interesting than -lyn and -ley in my opinion.
Maybe Dorset, Amoret, Sunset, or Winslet?
With the popularity of Isla, I’m surprised we haven’t been seeing Islet.
Love Amoret! Great meaning, unusual but sweet. (It would totally be on my list but DH has nixed it for being too close to my name)
What about Josette or Lisette? Love this list!
How beautiful. <3
I love this list! I’ve been fascinated with Ayelet for years. I love the sound snd meaning, but I worried about mispronunciation.
PS As soon as I posted my previous I remembered a childhood friend called Ninette, another called Janette, and the British actress Nanette Newman.
Also Jeanette – which I quite like – and Jeannette – I don’t like the double n.
I’ve always really loved Lisette. It was my name in French class at school and was the name of a popular interwar magazine for French schoolgirls.
I would love to have the chance to use it, probably in middle name spot.
A friend at school has a sister called Babette.
There is also the medieval English form of Angharad – Anchoret.
Of those listed I love Juliet.
I don’t mind Georgette but it’s also the name of a fabric and conjures that up, just as Suzette puts a certain culinary dish in mind.
Willet is a favorite of mine. It’s another bird, a shorebird this time. 🙂
I love Bridget, but there would be no nickname used. I also love Bernadette, but I’d end up with a Bernie. My best friend in highschool was Colette.
I know I KEEP mentioning it, but… Ingaret!! I love it so. As far as I’ve ever been able to tell, it’s an obscure variant (Anglicization, perhaps?) of Angharad.
How could I forget Ingaret?! Great name!
I like Ingaret! I’ll have to think about Ingaret…
Lizette is okay too.
Did I miss Babette? It’s my favorite such name and I’d love to use it for a daughter someday. It’d be Buh-BETTE, rather than BAB-ette, with Betty as an adorable nickname.
Of course – Babette! Great name!
Thought of two more: Minette and Minuet. Or Minuette? Too much?
In the last century, I worked for a woman named Minette. She was tiny and seemed to subsist only on cigarettes and Diet Coke.
When I hear Lunette, I think of the menstrual cup.
That was my first thought too! 🙂
Oh, I love these names!! I never thought much about it but I love -et names. Much prettier than –ia names, I think. I love Bridget, Violet, Annette, Linnet, Janet and Mariette. Bernadette and Juliet are top tier names on our girls list. Of course, we just found out that we’re expecting a second boy so my et names will have to wait. Just hope they don’t get too popular.
I’m not big on a lot of these, but I adore the very-different-feeling Violet and Ayelet.
Violet is simple and word-y and fits with my love for botanicals like Hazel and Briar.
Ayelet I love, it’s a bit sparkly and dramatic and fits with some of my favourite Hebrew names. But my husband vetoed on the fact it would get turned into all kinds of mispronunciations. 🙁 I love it. I have seen it spelled Iyelet once but I’m not sure how attractive that is. Or if it clarifies much.
One you don’t have is Kinneret. I know of one IRL and another person who has it on their list. I am not allowed to consider it because it’s been dibsed. 😉 It means harp and also refers to the Sea of Galilee in Hebrew.
I can’t help thinking Lunette sounds like birth control.