Altha

♀ Girl

Pronounced AL-thuh /ˈæl.θə/High

Meaning: Altha is a trimmed form of Althea, from Greek Althaia, tied to althainein, 'to heal.' Althaea is also the botanical name of the marshmallow and hollyhock. Altha keeps the healing sense in a plainer two-syllable shape.Low

In 30 seconds: Altha is a clipped Althea — Greek for 'healing' (said 'AL-thuh'). A turn-of-the-century Southern name that never climbed high and faded before mid-century.

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Origin LowGreek

MeaningAltha is a trimmed form of Althea, from Greek Althaia, tied to althainein, 'to heal.' Althaea is also the botanical name of the marshmallow and hollyhock. Altha keeps the healing sense in a plainer two-syllable shape.

U.S. rank (1976)#8190 ↘ Falling

1976 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1917

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,365

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Altha is a short form of Althea, from the Greek Althaia, linked to the verb althainein, 'to heal,' and to the marshmallow flower. It appeared as an American given name from the late nineteenth century, most often in the South, and reached its modest high near 1917 at close to a hundred girls a year.

Altha thinned steadily and had all but disappeared by the nineteen-seventies. It reads as a grandmother-or-older name today, one of the many Greek flower-and-virtue names of its era; its fuller form Althea is the version most parents recognize now.

Did you know? Altha shares its root with the marshmallow plant, Althaea, once valued as a healing herb — a quietly medicinal meaning behind a name that peaked around 1917.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Altha — Short form of Althea (Gk 'healing'); early-1900s peak

Variations

AltheaAltha

Nicknames

AlThea

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Altha…

Althea— the full parent name Altha shortens

Alta— a like short vintage A- name of the same era

Thelma— a same-generation Greek-rooted girl's name

Bertha— a like antique two-syllable name now dated

Explore names like Altha

By themevintage greek nature-adjacent antique

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Altha mean?

Altha is a short form of Althea, from the Greek for 'healing'; it carries that meaning.

How do you pronounce Altha?

It's said AL-thuh /ˈæl.θə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Altha a boy or girl name?

Altha is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Altha?

Altha was a modest early-century choice that peaked in the nineteen-teens and has been rare for decades; it has not revived.