Martha
Martha was the 713th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 393 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 1947 (10,651). Over the last ten years it has moved up 59 places. More babies were named Martha in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning the lady, mistress (Aramaic) · Aramaic
Say it MAR-thuh /ˈmɑrθə/
- Rank in 2025
- #713 girls, up 54 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 393girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194710,651 babies
- Total since 1880
- 553,732babies recorded
What does the name Martha mean?
Martha is an Aramaic name meaning "the lady" or "mistress," the feminine of mar, lord, according to DMNES and Wiktionary. In the Gospels Martha is the sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany, who welcomes Jesus into her house (Luke 10:38). DMNES notes that the name was never especially common in the Middle Ages but gained popularity in England in the later 16th century. It has been used in the US since 1880.
מָרְתָא (Aramaic, “lady, mistress”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Marta, Marthe, Mattie, Patty.
See also: Aramaic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Martha', DMNES (Durham University)
- Luke 10:38 (New Testament), King James Version, via Bible Gateway, Bible Gateway (KJV, public domain)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Martha' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Martha
The usual nicknames for Martha are Marty, Mattie and Patty. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Martha in the last five years, 58 were named Mattie, against 52 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marty · also for Martin | Traditional | #8,169 | 49 |
| Mattie · also for Matilda | Traditional | #1,005 | 1,207 |
| Patty · Patty comes from Matty via rhyming · also for Patricia | Traditional | #16,671 | 18 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Marthas go by each one.
Martha popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,991 since 1882.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #713 | 393 |
| 2020 | #767 | 354 |
| 2010 | #693 | 412 |
| 2000 | #373 | 788 |
| 1990 | #224 | 1,267 |
| 1980 | #178 | 1,555 |
| 1970 | #143 | 2,368 |
| 1960 | #83 | 5,831 |
| 1950 | #32 | 9,839 |
| 1940 | #26 | 8,695 |
| 1930 | #27 | 7,832 |
| 1920 | #23 | 8,709 |
| 1910 | #28 | 2,858 |
| 1900 | #28 | 2,437 |
| 1890 | #22 | 1,784 |
| 1880 | #16 | 1,040 |
How popular is Martha, counting every spelling?
Martha has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #720 for girls in 2025, against #713 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Carly/Karlee/Carlee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Martha?
393 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Martha (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Martha born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 21 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Martha.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Martha?
About 223,900 people born in the US named Martha are alive today, with a median age of 71; half are between 59 and 79. That makes Martha a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Martha by state
How common Martha was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (4.0×), Kentucky (2.5×), Indiana (2.2×), Wisconsin (2.1×), Ohio (1.9×). In 17 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Martha: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Martha, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Martha · Sibling names for Martha
Questions about the name Martha
What does Martha mean?
Martha means “the lady, mistress (Aramaic)” (Aramaic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Martha?
Martha was the 713th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 393 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 1947 (10,651). Over the last ten years it has moved up 59 places. More babies were named Martha in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Martha a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Martha in the US.
Where is Martha most popular?
In 2021–2025, Martha was most common in Pennsylvania (1.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kentucky and Indiana.