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Mertha
How to Pronounce Mertha
Pronounced MER-thuh /ˈmɜr.θə/Medium
Meaning: Mertha is a vintage variant of Martha, from the Aramaic marta, meaning lady or mistress of the house. It keeps the dignified, homely sense of the biblical name while shifting the first vowel.Low
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
Mertha is an early twentieth-century variant of Martha, from the Aramaic marta, lady or mistress of the house. It reads as a regional or family spelling of the well-known biblical name, used quietly in America before fading as Martha itself grew old-fashioned.
Mertha was always rare, given to only about twenty girls a year at its faint peak in the mid nineteen-twenties and gone from common use by mid-century. A girl named Mertha then would be gone or very elderly today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Mertha mean?
It is a variant of Martha, from the Aramaic marta, meaning lady or mistress of the house.
How do you pronounce Mertha?
It is said MER-thuh /ˈmɜr.θə/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Mertha a boy or girl name?
Mertha is used here as a girl's name.
How popular is Mertha?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the mid nineteen-twenties.