Aletha
Aletha was last recorded in 2024, when 8 babies were given it; 6,948 Americans have been recorded with it between 1881 and 2024 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 3,360 Americans named Aletha and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (48% of everyone recorded); the median is 60 years old and half are between 48 and 71.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Aletha by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Aletha mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Aletha is “a female given name.” Its etymology gives the senses “truth” (meaning) and “speaker of truth, one who speaks truth” (,).
Derived from Ancient Greek ἀλήθεια (alḗtheia), meaning “truth”, “speaker of truth, one who speaks truth”.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Aletha?
Unranked in 2025
Its last girls’ rank on record is #11,164, in 2024; SSA lists a name only in years with 5 or more births.
145 babies in 1923, the peak
Aletha peaked in 1923, when 145 girls were given it, #604 among girls’ names. It was not recorded in 2025.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | #11,164 | under 0.01 |
| 2023 | 5 | #15,292 | under 0.01 |
| 2022 | 5 | #15,419 | under 0.01 |
| 2021 | 7 | #12,269 | under 0.01 |
| 2020 | 6 | #13,523 | under 0.01 |
| 2019 | 10 | #9,759 | 0.01 |
| 2017 | 6 | #14,231 | under 0.01 |
| 2016 | 6 | #14,429 | under 0.01 |
| 2015 | 5 | #16,538 | under 0.01 |
| 2014 | 5 | #16,633 | under 0.01 |
Every recorded year (141)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7 | #13,221 | under 0.01 |
| 2012 | 9 | #11,303 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 11 | #9,742 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 16 | #7,697 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 12 | #9,503 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 10 | #10,847 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 8 | #12,469 | under 0.01 |
| 2005 | 9 | #10,948 | under 0.01 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9,278 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7,592 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 14 | #7,454 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 15 | #6,965 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 19 | #5,705 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 18 | #5,667 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 14 | #6,727 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 15 | #6,173 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 18 | #5,283 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 14 | #6,263 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 16 | #5,714 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 14 | #6,271 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 23 | #4,378 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 32 | #3,366 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 22 | #4,379 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 19 | #4,668 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 21 | #4,171 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 23 | #3,744 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 34 | #2,780 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 40 | #2,440 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 47 | #2,110 | 0.03 |
| 1983 | 35 | #2,551 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 54 | #1,950 | 0.03 |
| 1981 | 54 | #1,958 | 0.03 |
| 1980 | 53 | #1,981 | 0.03 |
| 1979 | 54 | #1,917 | 0.03 |
| 1978 | 55 | #1,825 | 0.04 |
| 1977 | 73 | #1,498 | 0.05 |
| 1976 | 50 | #1,840 | 0.03 |
| 1975 | 52 | #1,780 | 0.04 |
| 1974 | 86 | #1,260 | 0.06 |
| 1973 | 80 | #1,286 | 0.05 |
| 1972 | 66 | #1,456 | 0.04 |
| 1971 | 76 | #1,390 | 0.05 |
| 1970 | 88 | #1,259 | 0.05 |
| 1969 | 87 | #1,193 | 0.05 |
| 1968 | 95 | #1,090 | 0.06 |
| 1967 | 73 | #1,255 | 0.04 |
| 1966 | 93 | #1,087 | 0.05 |
| 1965 | 89 | #1,122 | 0.05 |
| 1964 | 84 | #1,204 | 0.04 |
| 1963 | 99 | #1,087 | 0.05 |
| 1962 | 85 | #1,192 | 0.04 |
| 1961 | 85 | #1,198 | 0.04 |
| 1960 | 77 | #1,247 | 0.04 |
| 1959 | 80 | #1,191 | 0.04 |
| 1958 | 99 | #1,050 | 0.05 |
| 1957 | 87 | #1,123 | 0.04 |
| 1956 | 92 | #1,066 | 0.05 |
| 1955 | 112 | #928 | 0.06 |
| 1954 | 90 | #1,032 | 0.05 |
| 1953 | 96 | #973 | 0.05 |
| 1952 | 82 | #1,038 | 0.04 |
| 1951 | 78 | #1,049 | 0.04 |
| 1950 | 63 | #1,160 | 0.04 |
| 1949 | 79 | #1,011 | 0.05 |
| 1948 | 71 | #1,048 | 0.04 |
| 1947 | 66 | #1,096 | 0.04 |
| 1946 | 59 | #1,106 | 0.04 |
| 1945 | 54 | #1,061 | 0.04 |
| 1944 | 43 | #1,204 | 0.03 |
| 1943 | 55 | #1,076 | 0.04 |
| 1942 | 56 | #1,048 | 0.04 |
| 1941 | 61 | #942 | 0.05 |
| 1940 | 48 | #1,036 | 0.04 |
| 1939 | 60 | #903 | 0.05 |
| 1938 | 63 | #890 | 0.06 |
| 1937 | 74 | #796 | 0.07 |
| 1936 | 53 | #941 | 0.05 |
| 1935 | 65 | #855 | 0.06 |
| 1934 | 70 | #804 | 0.07 |
| 1933 | 86 | #701 | 0.09 |
| 1932 | 76 | #775 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 72 | #797 | 0.07 |
| 1930 | 67 | #881 | 0.06 |
| 1929 | 76 | #809 | 0.07 |
| 1928 | 71 | #863 | 0.06 |
| 1927 | 87 | #776 | 0.07 |
| 1926 | 95 | #741 | 0.08 |
| 1925 | 103 | #725 | 0.08 |
| 1924 | 137 | #640 | 0.11 |
| 1923 | 145 | #604 | 0.12 |
| 1922 | 142 | #609 | 0.12 |
| 1921 | 136 | #632 | 0.11 |
| 1920 | 139 | #604 | 0.12 |
| 1919 | 130 | #614 | 0.12 |
| 1918 | 113 | #671 | 0.10 |
| 1917 | 100 | #686 | 0.09 |
| 1916 | 111 | #641 | 0.11 |
| 1915 | 91 | #696 | 0.09 |
| 1914 | 78 | #656 | 0.10 |
| 1913 | 66 | #637 | 0.11 |
| 1912 | 52 | #697 | 0.09 |
| 1911 | 40 | #686 | 0.10 |
| 1910 | 38 | #691 | 0.10 |
| 1909 | 37 | #645 | 0.11 |
| 1908 | 28 | #729 | 0.08 |
| 1907 | 25 | #749 | 0.08 |
| 1906 | 34 | #611 | 0.12 |
| 1905 | 29 | #656 | 0.10 |
| 1904 | 32 | #600 | 0.12 |
| 1903 | 21 | #734 | 0.08 |
| 1902 | 20 | #773 | 0.08 |
| 1901 | 25 | #631 | 0.10 |
| 1900 | 25 | #725 | 0.08 |
| 1899 | 22 | #664 | 0.09 |
| 1898 | 19 | #768 | 0.07 |
| 1897 | 25 | #616 | 0.11 |
| 1896 | 19 | #728 | 0.08 |
| 1895 | 14 | #859 | 0.06 |
| 1894 | 18 | #698 | 0.08 |
| 1893 | 11 | #901 | 0.05 |
| 1892 | 13 | #831 | 0.06 |
| 1891 | 12 | #797 | 0.06 |
| 1890 | 7 | #1,099 | 0.04 |
| 1889 | 15 | #657 | 0.08 |
| 1888 | 9 | #895 | 0.05 |
| 1887 | 9 | #791 | 0.06 |
| 1886 | 12 | #658 | 0.08 |
| 1885 | 8 | #793 | 0.06 |
| 1884 | 10 | #688 | 0.08 |
| 1883 | 6 | #818 | 0.05 |
| 1881 | 5 | #832 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Aletha a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Aletha has been recorded only for girls: SSA lists no boys with the name in 141 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Aletha: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Aletha, and how old are they?
3,360 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 48% of the 6,948 Americans ever recorded as Aletha. The median Aletha alive today is 60 years old; half are between 48 and 71.
The 2020 Census counted 3,329 people named Aletha (3,326 women and girls, 3 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 3,740 born in the U.S. The Census count is 11% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 314 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,240 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,080 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 452 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 193 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 70 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Aletha born?
The states with the most babies named Aletha are Texas, Michigan and California, with 28% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 224 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Michigan | 220 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| California | 179 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| New York | 173 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Illinois | 164 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Iowa | 128 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 120 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Ohio | 116 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Missouri | 96 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Kansas | 88 | not ranked | 1.0× |
Where Aletha is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Aletha is most over-represented in Iowa: since 1910 it was given 1.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Aletha with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 37,703 babies since 1880, Aletha is the second most given (18% of them). In 2025 none of their 292 babies recorded by SSA was a Aletha (SSA lists a name only with 5 or more babies of one sex).
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Aletha
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Aletha and names like it
- Compare Aletha and AltheaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sAletha peaked in 1923.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Aletha since 1910.
- The top names of 1923The year the most babies were named Aletha.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Aletha alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with AMost given first.