Girl · #16,513 in 2026

Retha

Name: Popularity of the name Retha in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Retha, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Retha is a feminine given name which may refer to:Retha Walden Gambaro (1917–2013), American sculptor and gallery owner Retha Swindell, American college basketball player Retha Warnicke, American historian Retha Welch, American murder victim

Afrikaans
English

Current Rank

#16,513

Peak Rank

#438 (1924)

Total Babies

11K

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1884

First Year

2014

Last Year

1924

Peak Year

#438

Peak Rank

11K

Total Count

113

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Retha

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Afrikaans
English

The Story of Retha

Retha first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1924: 252 births, good for #438 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 20% of all recorded Rethas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2014 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 11K Rethas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Retha

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Retha. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Retha

Phonetically similar names — useful when Retha 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 Retha

What does the name Retha mean?

What is the origin of the name Retha?

Retha has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Afrikaans, English.

How popular is Retha in 2026?

In 2026, Retha ranks #16,513 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Retha most popular?

Retha reached its peak popularity in 1924, ranking #438 that year with 252 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Retha most popular?

Retha has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Retha.

Is Retha a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Retha is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Retha?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Retha include Abril, Amirah, Micaela. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Retha?

Common variants and related forms of Retha include Margaret, Margaretta, Margarette, Margery, Margret, Marjorie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Retha

Retha is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Retha's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #438. Use the chart and map above to compare Retha's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.