If you're looking for a punchy, under-the-radar baby name with some interesting associations, Jett or Jetta could be for you.

Etymologically speaking, Jett and its feminine form, Jetta, are based on the word "jet." Not jet as in the aircraft, or jet as in the football team... but jet as in the type of coal.

That's right -- coal. Jet is a variety of coal that has long been valued as an ornamental stone. It's been carved into beads and other types of jewelry for thousands of years. In fact, jet's deep color is what gave rise to the expression "jet black."

The rock's name can be traced back to the Greek phrase gagates lithos, which means "stone of Gages." (Gages was a place in Asia Minor where jet was mined in ancient times.)

So, in essence, Jett and Jetta are nature names. But while most nature names immediately remind you of their sources, the meaning behind Jett and Jetta has been obscured by a slew of modern associations. For instance, names like Jade and Jada were obviously inspired by the gemstone jade -- but when people hear the name Jett, they think of jet airplanes, jet engines, the New York Jets, and other things that have nothing to do with coal. Jetta, likewise, almost certainly brings to mind the Volkswagen Jetta. These associations give Jett and Jetta a certain contemporary edginess, but also manage to belie their organic origin.

Neither Jett nor Jetta is currently very popular in the United States, though Jett has managed to gain steam since debuting among the top 1,000 U.S. baby names in 1999:

1999 - 793rd most popular boy name
2000 - 643rd
2001 - 641st
2002 - 602nd
2003 - 620th
2004 - 606th
2005 - 508th
2006 - 535th

These numbers -- plus Jett's similarity to trendier names like Jade, Jace and Brett -- suggest to me that Jett will continue to grow in popularity. Jetta hasn't ranked at all for baby girls during the last century, but this may soon change based on the growing popularity of Jett.


Source: Social Security Administration