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

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 →

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. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 252 Rethas were born — ranking #438 that year. As of 2026, Retha ranks #16,513 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. 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

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?

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.

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.