Given name & surname
Martha
“lady”
Martha is used as a given name and a surname. One Aramaic interpretation is “lady.”
Original Aramaicמרתא
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Aramaic interpretation is “lady.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Aramaic.
How it developed
In English usage, Martha developed from Μάρθα.
The story
In biblical stories, Martha is associated with the sister of Lazarus and Mary.
Martha through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 553,732
- 1,991 boys · 551,741 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 10,673 babies
- 2025
- 393
- #713 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 393 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 713 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 10,651 in 1947. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (52). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 368,239 as a first name in 2020; 847 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Martha’s family of names
In English usage, Martha has a diminutive in Patsy. In English usage, Martha shares an earlier linguistic root with Marfa. In German usage, Martha has a conventional equivalent in the Dutch form Marie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Martha has relatives in 27 languages. Lines run from its Aramaic roots to each of them.
Aramaicwhere Martha comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Mattiediminutive · English
- Martavariant · Polish, English
- Martydiminutive · English
- Mattydiminutive · English
- Patsydiminutive · English
- Martivariant
- Maritvariant
- Mattivariant
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Martievariant
- Marvavariant
- Mirthavariant
- Mathavariant
- Matavariant
- Martitavariant
- Marthyvariant
- Marthenavariant
- Marthevariant · French
- Marthvariant
- Martellevariant
- Martellavariant
- Martevariant
- Martvariant
- Marhtavariant
- Marfavariant · English
- Martthalikely variant
- Marttavariant · Finnish
- Martjevariant
- Marthinivariant
- Marthinevariant
- Marietvariant
- Maarvavariant
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 20
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 20
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Martha
- Martha WashingtonFirst Lady of the United States from 1789 to 17971731–1802
- Martha ArgerichArgentine pianist (1941-)
- Martha GrahamAmerican dancer and choreographer (1894–1991)
- Martha StewartAmerican businesswoman, writer, TV personality (born 1941)
- Martha NussbaumAmerican philosopher (born 1947)
- Martha Gellhornjournalist from the United States (1908–1998)
- Martha Jefferson RandolphFirst Lady of the United States from 1801 to 18091772–1836
- Martha ScottAmerican actress (1912–2003)
- Martha ChaseAmerican geneticist1927–2003
Characters named Martha: Martha Jones (Doctor Who), Martha Wayne (fictional character, mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman)), Martha Masters (fictional character on the Fox medical drama House), Martha Logan (the television series 24).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Martha, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Marie-Pier
Marie-Pier is a feminine given name from Koine Greek, ultimately from Biblical Hebrew. It is used in French.
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Melkko
Melkko is a surname from Biblical Hebrew. It is used in Finnish.
—
Debbora
“bee”
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Milalai
“talkative” · “eloquent”
>99% girls