Girl name · Aramaic
Martha
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lady, mistressMartha is a girl's name that comes from Aramaic and means "lady, mistress". It is used in English, German and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Lady, mistress
- Origin
- Aramaic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #713 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Martha
As a girl's name, Martha comes from Aramaic and means "lady, mistress". It is used in English, German and Spanish.
In German, say MAR-tah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Martha on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Martha on 6 lists.
“Lady, mistress; Aramaic. Sister of Mary and Lazarus”
From Biblical names, female biblical names
“The last known passenger pigeon, who died in 1914”
From Bird names, famous real birds
“Aramaic for lady; steady and kind”
From Bunny names, girl bunny names
“Lady, mistress; Aramaic. Say MAR-tah”
From German girl names, german forms of classic names
“Lady, mistress; Aramaic. A common Mexican spelling, with an h”
From Mexican girl names, classic Mexican female names
“Lady, mistress; Aramaic. Steady, capable and timeless”
From Strong female names, names that mean queen, lady or ruler
How popular is Martha?
- US rank in 2025
- #713
- 393 babies, 245 per million girls
- Best rank
- #14 in 1882
- Most babies: 10,651 in 1947
- Babies since 1880
- At least 551,741
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 10,597 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 8,739 per million |
| 1900s | 7,429 per million |
| 1910s | 7,296 per million |
| 1920s | 7,261 per million |
| 1930s | 7,287 per million |
| 1940s | 6,585 per million |
| 1950s | 4,325 per million |
| 1960s | 2,247 per million |
| 1970s | 1,160 per million |
| 1980s | 759 per million |
| 1990s | 542 per million |
| 2000s | 334 per million |
| 2010s | 214 per million |
| 2020s | 249 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #717 | #746 | #784 | #794 | #767 | #725 | #724 | #671 | #666 | #713 |
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.
Nicknames for Martha
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Mattycommon English nickname
- Pattyfirst a rhyme on Matty (Martha), now used for Patricia
- Mattiecommon English nickname
Other forms of Martha
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MarfaLady, mistress (Aramaic, girl)
- MartaLady, mistress (Aramaic, girl)
Names spelled like Martha
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- MartinaDedicated to Mars (Latin, girl)
- MariaGreek and Latin form of Miriam, of uncertain meaning (Hebrew, girl)
- MirtaMyrtle (Greek, girl)
- MahaOryx (Arabic, girl)
- MaraBitter (Hebrew, girl)
- MarciaOf Mars (Latin, girl)
- MargaPearl (Greek, girl)
- MariyaRussian form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- FreyaLady, noblewoman (Old Norse, girl)
- DoloresSorrows, our lady of sorrows (Spanish, girl)
- DonnaLady (Italian, girl)
- BegümLady, feminine of beg (Turkish, girl)
- ConsolaciónConsolation, after Our Lady of Consolation (Latin, girl)
- DespinaLady, mistress (Greek, girl)
- EceQueen, lady (Turkish, girl)
- FaoiltiarnaWolf lady (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- FraukeLittle lady (Germanic, girl)
- FrejaLady, noblewoman (Old Norse, girl)
Middle names for Martha
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AmberAmber, golden fossil resin (Arabic, girl)
- BessMy God is an oath (Hebrew, girl)
- BriarThorny shrub (Old English, unisex)
- JaneGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- NiamhBright, radiant (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- PaigeYoung servant, page (Old French, girl)
- PearlPrecious gem from the sea (Latin, girl)
- TheaA goddess (Greek, girl)
More girl names from Aramaic
- MaialenWoman of Magdala (Aramaic, girl)
- SaloméPeace (Aramaic, girl)
- ThomasinaA twin (Aramaic, girl)
- BartolinaFeminine of Bartolomé, son of Talmai (Aramaic, girl)
- MaddalenaWoman of Magdala (Aramaic, girl)
- MadeleineWoman of Magdala (Aramaic, girl)
- MadelynVariant of Madeline, woman from Magdala (Aramaic, girl)
- MagaliWoman of Magdala (Aramaic, girl)
- MagdaliniWoman of Magdala (Aramaic, girl)
- MattieLady (Aramaic, girl)
Martha: common questions
What does the name Martha mean?
Martha comes from Aramaic and means "lady, mistress".
Is Martha a boy or girl name?
Martha is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Martha?
Common nicknames for Martha include Matty, Patty and Mattie.
How popular is the name Martha?
Martha ranked #713 in the US in 2025, with 393 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Martha?
Forms of Martha with the same meaning and origin include Marfa (Russian) and Marta (Italian).
What middle names go with Martha?
Middle names that flow well with Martha include Amber, Bess, Briar, Jane and Niamh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.