Girl's name
Martha
Say it MAR-thuh
Aramaic origin mistress
2 syllables
Where Martha is loved, common and rare
Common across Northern Ireland and two more places. Rare in four German cities, England and Wales, Austria and nine more places.
1 in 291 girls born in Northern Ireland in 2025
Northern Ireland 84thCologne 103rdBerlin 119th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 18 of the 40 official lists, among them Northern Ireland (84th), Cologne (103rd) and Berlin (119th).
Show all 18 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 84th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 291 |
| Cologne city | 103rd 2023 | 12 | about 1 in 512 |
| Berlin city | 119th 2023 | 27 | about 1 in 537 |
| England and Wales | 164th 2025 | 302 | 1 in 839 |
| Austria | 187th 2025 | 32 | 1 in 1,116 |
| Munich city | 201st 2025 | 6 | about 1 in 699 |
| Norway | 219th 2025 | 19 | 1 in 1,147 |
| Scotland | 284th 2025 | 12 | 1 in 1,491 |
| Ireland | 352nd 2025 | 11 | 1 in 1,921 |
| Sweden as Märtha | 436th 2025 | 15 | about 1 in 2,678 |
| Switzerland | 617th 2025 | 10 | 1 in 3,399 |
| The Netherlands | 688th 2025 | 17 | about 1 in 3,589 |
| France | 816th 2025 | 45 | 1 in 6,373 |
| Ontario province | 823rd 2024 | 14 | about 1 in 3,890 |
| Italy | 1025th 2024 | 9 | 1 in 19,908 |
| Leipzig city | 52nd 2025 | 10 | about 1 in 262 |
| Rostock city | 62nd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 328 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 1,005 |
Rare, below the listed names: Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Catalonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: NISRA (Northern Ireland); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Martha comes through Latin and Greek from the Aramaic mārtā, meaning 'mistress', in the sense of lady of the house. In the New Testament, Martha is the sister of Mary and Lazarus.
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Two syllables, said MAR-thuh, with the stress on the first. Marta is the form used across much of Europe, and Marthe, Martta, Marfa and Märtha are other versions.
Canadian records show Martha at its height in the late 1920s. It is now most popular in Northern Ireland, a top-90 name there, and it is also used in England and Wales and Scotland, and in Austria, Norway and Sweden. It is declining in several regions, so it is best seen as a classic with a steady, modest following.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- MAR-thuh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
mistress
- Origin
- Aramaic
- Other spellings
- Marta
- Martine
- Martyna
- Martina
- Martta
- Marfa
- Marthe
- Maartje
- Maruta
- Mirtha
- Maleka
- Morta
- Māta
Counted together here: Märtha.
Etymology
From Latin Martha, from Ancient Greek Μάρθα (Mártha), from Aramaic מָרְתָא (mārtā, “mistress”), feminine of מרא (mārā). Doublet of Marfa.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 3 of 17 regions, falling in 8.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 75 | 76 | 94 | 95 | 115 | 103 | 110 | 111 | 159 | 164 |
| Scotland | 153 | 120 | 172 | 158 | 220 | 177 | 151 | 228 | 230 | 284 |
| Northern Ireland | 97 | 110 | 145 | 102 | 119 | 131 | 98 | 76 | 110 | 84 |
| Ireland | 288 | 241 | 235 | 325 | 207 | 336 | 222 | 404 | 243 | 352 |
| Ontario | 627 | 490 | 400 | 425 | 499 | 617 | 705 | 442 | 823 | |
| British Columbia | 637 | 667 | ||||||||
| Quebec | 915 | 883 | ||||||||
| France | 2023 | 1692 | 1128 | 1112 | 839 | 739 | 981 | 932 | 769 | 816 |
| The Netherlands | 836 | 924 | 747 | 648 | 663 | 688 | ||||
| Austria | 336 | 175 | 257 | 170 | 183 | 173 | 181 | 187 | 263 | 187 |
| Switzerland | 445 | 570 | 603 | 600 | 561 | 737 | 393 | 480 | 995 | 617 |
| Berlin | 60 | 71 | 79 | 90 | 70 | 98 | 107 | 119 | ||
| Munich | 102 | 107 | 129 | 101 | 90 | 100 | 77 | 138 | 170 | 201 |
| Cologne | 76 | 82 | 139 | 84 | 89 | 94 | 111 | 103 | ||
| Bonn | 88 | 176 | 67 | 81 | 168 | 110 | 181 | 96 | 223 | 173 |
| Leipzig | 37 | 35 | 47 | 41 | 26 | 47 | 52 | 50 | 54 | 52 |
| Rostock | 22 | 29 | 27 | 44 | 37 | 14 | 21 | 21 | 37 | 62 |
| Norway | 282 | 211 | 229 | 218 | 217 | 212 | 220 | 263 | 260 | 219 |
| Sweden | 384 | 537 | 388 | 549 | 404 | 310 | 387 | 440 | 345 | 436 |
| Italy | 725 | 841 | 891 | 1025 | ||||||
| Poland | 397 | 714 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 164 | 302 | 119.2 |
| 2024 | 159 | 317 | 122.9 |
| 2023 | 111 | 438 | 170.7 |
| 2022 | 110 | 456 | 173.0 |
| 2021 | 103 | 505 | 184.3 |
| 2020 | 115 | 422 | 157.2 |
| 2019 | 95 | 552 | 197.1 |
| 2018 | 94 | 560 | 194.3 |
| 2017 | 76 | 718 | 240.1 |
| 2016 | 75 | 756 | 246.1 |
| 2015 | 67 | 868 | 281.9 |
| 2014 | 69 | 807 | 263.2 |
| 2013 | 73 | 756 | 245.1 |
| 2012 | 77 | 770 | 239.1 |
| 2011 | 83 | 723 | 225.0 |
| 2010 | 85 | 714 | 222.4 |
| 2009 | 81 | 780 | 248.9 |
| 2008 | 81 | 750 | 237.5 |
| 2007 | 87 | 658 | 214.9 |
| 2006 | 96 | 539 | 180.1 |
| 2005 | 110 | 456 | 158.2 |
| 2004 | 136 | 378 | 132.2 |
| 2003 | 166 | 294 | 105.5 |
| 2002 | 157 | 276 | 103.2 |
| 2001 | 154 | 297 | 110.8 |
| 2000 | 148 | 310 | 113.5 |
| 1999 | 178 | 252 | 89.5 |
| 1998 | 158 | 289 | 99.9 |
| 1997 | 164 | 277 | 94.5 |
| 1996 | 214 | 198 | 66.9 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Martha in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1958. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1928, at 214.4 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Martha per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 1928 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Martha
1 in 515 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha. Same first letter as Martha.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 346 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 649 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 1,174 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 1,056 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 2,783 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Martha.
1 in 2,556 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Martha.
Middle names for Martha
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Martha Grace
2-1 beats · initials MG
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Martha Olivia
2-4 beats · initials MO · Martha slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Martha slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Martha Sophia
2-3 beats · initials MS
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Martha Rose
2-1 beats · initials MR
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Martha Maria
2-3 beats · initials MM
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Martha Emily
2-3 beats · initials ME · Martha slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Martha slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Martha Julia
2-3 beats · initials MJ
Changes the beat after Martha: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Martha Charlotte
2-2 beats · initials MC
A close match on style, era and popularity. Same length as Martha: 2 syllables.
Same style as Martha
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 754 in Ireland
93% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 515 in Ireland
92% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 660 in Ireland
91% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 2,556 in Scotland
91% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
91% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 347 in Northern Ireland
90% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 640 in Ireland
90% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
90% alike: moves with Martha across countries and decades.
Famous people named Martha
Martha Washington, Martha Argerich, Martha Graham, Martha Nussbaum, Martha Gellhorn, Martha Jefferson Randolph, Martha Scott and Martha Chase.
Show all 8Show less
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First Lady of the United States from 1789 to 1797 1731 to 1802
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Argentine pianist (1941-)
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American dancer and choreographer (1894–1991)
-
American philosopher (born 1947)
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Journalist from the United States (1908–1998)
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First Lady of the United States from 1801 to 1809 1772 to 1836
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American actress (1912–2003)
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American geneticist 1927 to 2003
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Martha
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Martha?
Her best rank is No. 84 in Northern Ireland in 2025, about 1 in 291 girls. She is in the published lists of 18 of our 40 regions.
What does Martha mean?
Wiktionary glosses Martha as "mistress".
How do you pronounce Martha?
MAR-thuh, with 2 syllables.
Is Martha getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 3 of 17 regions, falling in 8.
Which sister names go with Martha?
The deck's top five sisters for Martha: Mary, Nancy, Faye, Ellen and Josephine. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.