Given name
Arethia
“one who is virtuous; excellent”
Arethia is a variant of Aretha. One Greek interpretation is “one who is virtuous; excellent.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Arethia is a variant of Aretha. One Greek interpretation is “one who is virtuous; excellent.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Arethia is a variant of Aretha. An origin associated with Aretha is Greek.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1928. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Arethia through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 28
- 0 boys · 28 girls
- Most popular year
- 1967
- 8 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 1971. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 8 in 1967.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Arethia’s family of names
Arethia has a related form in Aretha.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Arethia, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Angelia
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Alesia
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Arcelia
“from the altar of heaven”
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Alethea
“one who is truthful”
>99% girls
Adelita
“of the nobility; serene; of good humor”
>99% girls
Annemarie
“filled with bitter grace”
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Angelita
“messenger” · “a heavenly messenger; an angel”
>99% girls