Martha
Martha is a feminine given name. Patti, Patsy, and Patty were in use in Colonial America as English rhyming diminutives of the diminutive Mattie. Molly has been used as a diminutive of Martha since the 18th century.
Meaning & Origin of Martha
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Martha is a feminine given name. Patti, Patsy, and Patty were in use in Colonial America as English rhyming diminutives of the diminutive Mattie. Molly has been used as a diminutive of Martha since the 18th century.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Martha
Martha first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 1,040 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 10,652 Marthas were born — ranking #32 that year. As of 2026, Martha ranks #650 for baby girls with 455 births, rising sharply (+19% over the past five years). In total, more than 552K Marthas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Martha
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Saint Martha , several people
- Martha daughter of Boethus , 1st century Jewish woman
- Martha of Armagnac (1347–1378), French youngest child of John I, Count of Armagnac
- Martha of Denmark (1277–1341), Swedish Queen
- Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (born 1971), Norwegian princess and businesswoman
- Princess Märtha of Sweden (1901–1954), Swedish princess
- Martha A. B. Conine , American politician and women's suffragist
- Martha A. Boughton (1857–1928), American author, educator, poet, and clubwoman
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Martha
Phonetically similar names — useful when Martha is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Martha
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About the name Martha
Martha is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 552K births in the dataset. Martha's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #14. Use the chart and map above to compare Martha's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.