Given name
Alethea
“one who is truthful”
Alethea is used as a given name. One Greek interpretation is “one who is truthful.”
Original Ancient GreekἈλήθεια
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “one who is truthful.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1892. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alethea through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,968
- 0 boys · 4,968 girls
- Most popular year
- 1973
- 322 babies
- 2025
- 54
- #3,030 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +61%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 54 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,030 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 60.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 322 in 1973. In 2025, California and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (7 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,568 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alethea’s family of names
Alethea has a related form in Aletha. Alethea has a related form in Alethia. Alethea has a related form in Aletheia.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Aletheiavariant
- Alethiavariant
- Althaeavariant
- Alithiavariant
- Aletiavariant
- Alatheavariant
- Alitheavariant
- Alethavariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alethea
- Alethea Arnaquq-BarilCanadian filmmaker (born 1978)
- Alethea Howard, Countess of ArundelEnglish noble and art patron1585–1654
- Alethea McGrathAustralian actress (1920–2016)
- Alethea CharltonBritish actress (1931-1976)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alethea, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Adria
“man from Hadria” · “a man from Hadria”
>99% girls
Yolanda
“resembling the violet flower; modest”
>99% girls
Cleopatra
“a father's glory; of the royal family”
>99% girls
Angela
“messenger” · “a heavenly messenger; an angel”
>99% girls
Olympia
“from Mount Olympus; a goddess”
>99% girls
Andrea
“manliness”
1% boys · 99% girls
Ourania
“a heavenly woman”
>99% girls
Tabitha
“doe” · “resembling a gazelle; known for beauty and grace”
>99% girls