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2025 data, released 8 May 2026

2025 data, released 8 May 2026

Aretha

Aretha was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1968, when it ranked 398th with 543 babies. More babies were named Aretha in the 1960s than in any other decade.

Meaning Not yet researched how we research meanings

Rank in 2025
Not rankedgirls
Babies in 2025
0girls
Girls and boys
Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
Peak year
1968543 babies
Total since 1880
5,656babies recorded

Aretha popularity since 1880

02505007501k 1900192019401960198020002020
Girls Babies per year, US, from Social Security records. Years with fewer than 5 babies show as zero.
YearRank (girls)Babies (girls)
2025——
2020——
2010#13,6227
2000#15,2625
1990#4,01125
1980#1,93755
1970#639257
1960#1,43159
1950#1,55036
1940#1,44428
1930#1,23437
1920#1,44231
1910#1,52610
1900#1,9475
1890——
1880——

How popular is Aretha, counting every spelling?

Aretha has no other common spelling that sounds the same.

How old are people named Aretha?

About 4,200 people born in the US named Aretha are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 52 and 61. That makes Aretha a name most people associate with older generations.

0–910–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–7980–8990+
Estimated people alive in the US with the name, by age, mid-2026. The darker bar holds the median age.

Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.

Aretha by state

How common Aretha was among girls born in each state in 1966–1970, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (5.1×), Mississippi (4.9×), South Carolina (3.4×), Georgia (2.7×), Arkansas (2.4×). In 23 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.

Alaska: fewer than 5 a yearAK–Maine: fewer than 5 a yearME–Wisconsin: 0.03 per 1,000 babiesWI0.03Vermont: fewer than 5 a yearVT–New Hampshire: fewer than 5 a yearNH–Washington: fewer than 5 a yearWA–Idaho: fewer than 5 a yearID–Montana: fewer than 5 a yearMT–North Dakota: fewer than 5 a yearND–Minnesota: fewer than 5 a yearMN–Illinois: 0.22 per 1,000 babiesIL0.22Michigan: 0.11 per 1,000 babiesMI0.11New York: 0.14 per 1,000 babiesNY0.14Massachusetts: 0.06 per 1,000 babiesMA0.06Oregon: fewer than 5 a yearOR–Nevada: fewer than 5 a yearNV–Wyoming: fewer than 5 a yearWY–South Dakota: fewer than 5 a yearSD–Iowa: fewer than 5 a yearIA–Indiana: 0.10 per 1,000 babiesIN0.10Ohio: 0.15 per 1,000 babiesOH0.15Pennsylvania: 0.09 per 1,000 babiesPA0.09New Jersey: 0.10 per 1,000 babiesNJ0.10Connecticut: 0.06 per 1,000 babiesCT0.06Rhode Island: fewer than 5 a yearRI–California: 0.07 per 1,000 babiesCA0.07Utah: fewer than 5 a yearUT–Colorado: fewer than 5 a yearCO–Nebraska: fewer than 5 a yearNE–Missouri: 0.19 per 1,000 babiesMO0.19Kentucky: 0.11 per 1,000 babiesKY0.11West Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearWV–Virginia: 0.45 per 1,000 babiesVA0.45Maryland: 0.29 per 1,000 babiesMD0.29Delaware: 0.27 per 1,000 babiesDE0.27Arizona: fewer than 5 a yearAZ–New Mexico: fewer than 5 a yearNM–Kansas: fewer than 5 a yearKS–Arkansas: 0.46 per 1,000 babiesAR0.46Tennessee: 0.36 per 1,000 babiesTN0.36North Carolina: 0.43 per 1,000 babiesNC0.43South Carolina: 0.63 per 1,000 babiesSC0.63District of Columbia: 0.44 per 1,000 babiesDC0.44Oklahoma: 0.06 per 1,000 babiesOK0.06Louisiana: 0.35 per 1,000 babiesLA0.35Mississippi: 0.93 per 1,000 babiesMS0.93Alabama: 0.96 per 1,000 babiesAL0.96Georgia: 0.52 per 1,000 babiesGA0.52Hawaii: fewer than 5 a yearHI–Texas: 0.28 per 1,000 babiesTX0.28Florida: 0.32 per 1,000 babiesFL0.32
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex, Aretha, girls, 1966–1970. Darker means more common.

Names with a similar history

These names rose and fell in step with Aretha: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Aretha, they share its era and feel.

Questions about the name Aretha

How popular is the name Aretha?

Aretha was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1968, when it ranked 398th with 543 babies. More babies were named Aretha in the 1960s than in any other decade.

Is Aretha a boy or girl name?

In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Aretha in the US.

Where was Aretha most popular?

In 1966–1970, Aretha was most common in Alabama (0.96 per 1,000 girls), followed by Mississippi and South Carolina.