Martha
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- MAR-tha
- Origin
- Aramaic
- UK rank, 2025
- #167 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #712 for girls
- Style
- Vintage revival
Martha is a girls' name of Aramaic origin, meaning “lady, mistress”. In 2025 it ranked 167th for girls in the UK (339 babies) and 712th for girls in the US (393 babies).
What does Martha mean?
Aramaic
“lady, mistress”
In the Gospels, Martha of Bethany busies herself serving while her sister Mary listens to Jesus.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Martha a girl's or a boy's name?
Martha is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 339 girls in the UK and 393 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Martha in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 167th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 339 about 1 in 820 girls
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 29% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.7% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 339 girls in the UK were named Martha, making it the 167th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 120th. Its busiest year was 2015, with 932 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Martha than any year since 2003.
Half of all the girls named Martha in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 164th in England and Wales, 284th in Scotland and 84th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#64), 1914 (#84) and 2014 (#69).
Martha in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 339 | #167 |
| 2024 | 351 | #159 |
| 2023 | 482 | #114 |
| 2022 | 506 | #111 |
| 2021 | 547 | #103 |
| 2020 | 456 | #120 |
| 2019 | 601 | #97 |
| 2018 | 601 | #94 |
| 2017 | 778 | #79 |
| 2016 | 815 | #77 |
| 2015 | 932 | #68 |
| 2014 | 866 | #72 |
| 2013 | 809 | #78 |
| 2012 | 826 | #79 |
| 2011 | 781 | #91 |
| 2010 | 772 | #85 |
| 2009 | 835 | #84 |
| 2008 | 814 | #86 |
| 2007 | 696 | #89 |
| 2006 | 563 | #104 |
| 2005 | 483 | #123 |
| 2004 | 399 | #152 |
| 2003 | 310 | #173 |
| 2002 | 299 | #163 |
| 2001 | 313 | #160 |
| 2000 | 324 | #159 |
| 1999 | 262 | #191 |
| 1998 | 301 | #168 |
| 1997 | 294 | #174 |
| 1996 | 205 | #219 |
How popular is Martha in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 712th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 393 about 1 in 4,100 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 20% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 393 girls in the US were named Martha, making it the 712th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 767th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 10,651 girls.
2025 had fewer girls named Martha than any year since 2020.
Half of all the girls named Martha in the US since 1880 were born between 1922 and 1954, the years shaded on the chart below.
Martha in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 393 | #712 |
| 2024 | 435 | #666 |
| 2023 | 439 | #671 |
| 2022 | 405 | #723 |
| 2021 | 395 | #725 |
| 2020 | 354 | #767 |
| 2019 | 349 | #794 |
| 2018 | 349 | #782 |
| 2017 | 376 | #746 |
| 2016 | 397 | #716 |
| 2015 | 367 | #771 |
| 2014 | 383 | #735 |
| 2013 | 344 | #793 |
| 2012 | 392 | #713 |
| 2011 | 374 | #738 |
| 2010 | 412 | #692 |
| 2009 | 451 | #657 |
| 2008 | 505 | #605 |
| 2007 | 531 | #565 |
| 2006 | 583 | #519 |
| 2005 | 601 | #502 |
| 2004 | 603 | #487 |
| 2003 | 640 | #466 |
| 2002 | 718 | #405 |
| 2001 | 759 | #384 |
| 2000 | 788 | #373 |
| 1999 | 742 | #384 |
| 1998 | 779 | #368 |
| 1997 | 863 | #330 |
| 1996 | 881 | #319 |
| 1995 | 928 | #297 |
| 1994 | 954 | #288 |
| 1993 | 1,058 | #262 |
| 1992 | 1,146 | #242 |
| 1991 | 1,132 | #246 |
| 1990 | 1,267 | #224 |
| 1989 | 1,249 | #220 |
| 1988 | 1,138 | #231 |
| 1987 | 1,143 | #235 |
| 1986 | 1,153 | #227 |
| 1985 | 1,221 | #211 |
| 1984 | 1,210 | #216 |
| 1983 | 1,349 | #196 |
| 1982 | 1,449 | #188 |
| 1981 | 1,572 | #174 |
| 1980 | 1,555 | #178 |
| 1979 | 1,443 | #184 |
| 1978 | 1,486 | #176 |
| 1977 | 1,596 | #171 |
| 1976 | 1,598 | #161 |
| 1975 | 1,792 | #149 |
| 1974 | 1,834 | #150 |
| 1973 | 1,725 | #157 |
| 1972 | 1,894 | #151 |
| 1971 | 2,190 | #147 |
| 1970 | 2,368 | #143 |
| 1969 | 2,428 | #139 |
| 1968 | 2,582 | #123 |
| 1967 | 2,910 | #117 |
| 1966 | 3,270 | #106 |
| 1965 | 3,801 | #99 |
| 1964 | 4,448 | #95 |
| 1963 | 4,887 | #90 |
| 1962 | 5,159 | #87 |
| 1961 | 5,724 | #81 |
| 1960 | 5,831 | #83 |
| 1959 | 6,439 | #72 |
| 1958 | 6,750 | #69 |
| 1957 | 7,361 | #63 |
| 1956 | 7,711 | #59 |
| 1955 | 7,930 | #53 |
| 1954 | 8,596 | #46 |
| 1953 | 9,263 | #41 |
| 1952 | 9,696 | #40 |
| 1951 | 9,605 | #38 |
| 1950 | 9,839 | #32 |
| 1949 | 9,808 | #34 |
| 1948 | 10,011 | #32 |
| 1947 | 10,651 | #32 |
| 1946 | 9,759 | #32 |
| 1945 | 8,752 | #30 |
| 1944 | 9,335 | #29 |
| 1943 | 9,704 | #29 |
| 1942 | 9,513 | #29 |
| 1941 | 9,156 | #25 |
| 1940 | 8,695 | #26 |
| 1939 | 8,493 | #27 |
| 1938 | 8,578 | #26 |
| 1937 | 7,953 | #24 |
| 1936 | 7,392 | #24 |
| 1935 | 7,621 | #24 |
| 1934 | 7,604 | #27 |
| 1933 | 7,164 | #27 |
| 1932 | 7,579 | #27 |
| 1931 | 7,481 | #28 |
| 1930 | 7,832 | #27 |
| 1929 | 7,639 | #27 |
| 1928 | 8,252 | #22 |
| 1927 | 8,304 | #24 |
| 1926 | 8,556 | #24 |
| 1925 | 8,762 | #23 |
| 1924 | 9,320 | #21 |
| 1923 | 8,961 | #21 |
| 1922 | 9,021 | #21 |
| 1921 | 9,264 | #21 |
| 1920 | 8,709 | #23 |
| 1919 | 8,322 | #25 |
| 1918 | 8,341 | #25 |
| 1917 | 8,261 | #22 |
| 1916 | 7,610 | #24 |
| 1915 | 7,216 | #25 |
| 1914 | 5,432 | #27 |
| 1913 | 4,538 | #28 |
| 1912 | 3,911 | #29 |
| 1911 | 3,019 | #28 |
| 1910 | 2,858 | #28 |
| 1909 | 2,510 | #28 |
| 1908 | 2,324 | #32 |
| 1907 | 2,274 | #31 |
| 1906 | 2,199 | #29 |
| 1905 | 2,091 | #32 |
| 1904 | 2,019 | #29 |
| 1903 | 1,980 | #29 |
| 1902 | 2,030 | #30 |
| 1901 | 1,886 | #29 |
| 1900 | 2,437 | #28 |
| 1899 | 1,907 | #28 |
| 1898 | 2,184 | #25 |
| 1897 | 1,990 | #26 |
| 1896 | 2,022 | #26 |
| 1895 | 2,096 | #25 |
| 1894 | 1,968 | #24 |
| 1893 | 1,805 | #25 |
| 1892 | 1,915 | #24 |
| 1891 | 1,744 | #21 |
| 1890 | 1,784 | #22 |
| 1889 | 1,711 | #21 |
| 1888 | 1,769 | #19 |
| 1887 | 1,504 | #17 |
| 1886 | 1,491 | #18 |
| 1885 | 1,425 | #17 |
| 1884 | 1,443 | #16 |
| 1883 | 1,255 | #15 |
| 1882 | 1,229 | #14 |
| 1881 | 1,044 | #17 |
| 1880 | 1,040 | #16 |
Nicknames for Martha
Names like Martha
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Eva, Ada, Lola, Clara, Esther, Edith, Matilda, Nellie, Beatrice, Rosa, Annie, Etta
Names related to Martha
Marta, Marietta, Marita, Marty, Marti, Marit, Martie, Martia
More Aramaic names
Thomas, Tommy, Barnaby, Barney, Tabitha, Tomas, Tadeo, Tom, Thaddeus, Tomos, Tommie, Tomi, Saphira, Tommaso, Barnabas, Talitha
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Martha: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/martha, updated 20 October 2026.