Girl name · Germanic
Bertha
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brightBertha is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "bright". It is used in English and German.
- Meaning
- Bright
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #4569 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Bertha
As a girl's name, Bertha comes from Germanic and means "bright". It is used in English and German.
In German, say BAIR-tah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Bertha on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Bertha on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Bertha on 5 lists.
“Germanic for bright; a sturdy old name for a sturdy, gentle doe”
From Bunny names, names for big bunnies
“Bright; Germanic beraht. Say BAIR-tah”
From German girl names, traditional German female names
“A grand old name for a grand old engine”
From Names for firefighters, names for fire trucks and engines
“Bright; Germanic, from the old word beraht”
From Names that mean light, germanic names with bert, meaning bright
“Bright; Germanic. Borne by Charlemagne's mother”
From Vintage girl names, old fashioned girl names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Bertha?
- US rank in 2025
- #4,569
- 30 babies, 19 per million girls
- Best rank
- #7 in 1883
- Most babies: 5,051 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 207,870
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 13,913 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 11,310 per million |
| 1900s | 8,282 per million |
| 1910s | 4,919 per million |
| 1920s | 3,227 per million |
| 1930s | 1,991 per million |
| 1940s | 1,120 per million |
| 1950s | 585 per million |
| 1960s | 320 per million |
| 1970s | 176 per million |
| 1980s | 98 per million |
| 1990s | 78 per million |
| 2000s | 37 per million |
| 2010s | 19 per million |
| 2020s | 18 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,099 | #4,825 | #4,792 | #4,557 | #4,661 | #5,112 | #4,220 | #4,581 | #4,684 | #4,569 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Bertha
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- BertheBright (Germanic, girl)
Names spelled like Bertha
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- BeataBlessed, happy (Latin, girl)
- BeathagLife (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- BethanGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- RobertoBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RoxanaBright, shining (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Bertha
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
Bertha: common questions
What does the name Bertha mean?
Bertha comes from Germanic and means "bright".
Is Bertha a boy or girl name?
Bertha is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Bertha come from?
Bertha comes from Germanic and means "bright". Today it is used in English and German.
How popular is the name Bertha?
Bertha ranked #4,569 in the US in 2025, with 30 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Bertha?
Forms of Bertha with the same meaning and origin include Berta (German) and Berthe (French).
What middle names go with Bertha?
Middle names that flow well with Bertha include Gwen, Honor, Hope, Ivy and Jean. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.