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Home › Baby Names Directory › Claretha

Claretha

♀ Girl

Pronounced kluh-REE-thuh /kləˈri.θə/Medium

Meaning: Claretha is a coined American name that builds on Clara (Latin clarus, 'bright, clear') with the fashionable -etha ending, so its inherited sense is 'bright' or 'clear'.Low

In 30 seconds: Claretha is a coined name built on Clara, from Latin clarus, 'bright, clear' (said 'kluh-REE-thuh').
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Origin LowLatin, English
MeaningClaretha is a coined American name that builds on Clara (Latin clarus, 'bright, clear') with the fashionable -etha ending, so its inherited sense is 'bright' or 'clear'.
U.S. rank (1989)#12786 ↘ Falling
1989 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1948
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,109

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 194819181989

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

Claretha is a made name of the early-to-mid twentieth century, elaborating Clara — from Latin clarus, 'bright, clear' — with the -etha ending then in vogue. It was coined for its ring rather than handed down.

Never common, it crested around 1948 and faded by the late nineteen-eighties. It reads today as a period coinage most at home among its rhyming -etha cousins, and it has not been revived.

Did you know? Claretha joins the family of mid-century names dressed up with an -etha ending — like Cleatha and Oletha — coined for their sound while keeping Clara's bright meaning.
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Claretha — coined elaboration of Clara; Latin clarus

Variations

ClarettaClareatha

Nicknames

ClaraRetha

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Claretha…

Clara— the bright-meaning parent name behind it
Oletha— a rhyming -etha vintage name of the same taste
Arletha— a fellow English choice
Tinisha— another vintage pick
Tamatha— shares Claretha's English roots

Explore names like Claretha

By themerarevintagecoined

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Claretha mean?

Claretha is a coined elaboration of Clara, from Latin clarus, 'bright, clear'.

How do you pronounce Claretha?

It's said kluh-REE-thuh /kləˈri.θə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Claretha a boy or girl name?

Claretha is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Claretha?

Claretha was always rare, a mid-century coined name that is very uncommon today.

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