Total births
17,980
Girls' name · since 1880
Althea
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 17,980 babies named Althea, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1398
- among girls today
- 17,980
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
17,980 babies have been named Althea since 1880, making it today's #1398 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Althea recorded 17,980 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #1398 nationally today, ahead of 92% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1398 among girls today
- 17,980 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Althea is currently the #1398 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 17,980 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1398
- among girls today
- 17,980
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Althea vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1398
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Althea was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
388 babies were named Althea in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Althea compares
17,980 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Althea's all-time total is 47x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Althea | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,980 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 388 | 48 | 19,840 |
Althea's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Althea splits its recorded history at 1953: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (8 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 388 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Althea at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#1,398
Active since
1880
Althea popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 388
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Althea popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1924 (Althea as boys' name)
Althea by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Althea's strongest decade.
3,015 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Althea births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 156
1880s
156 births
- 1890s 323
1890s
323 births
- 1900s 496
1900s
496 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,014 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,591 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,472 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,275 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,015 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,791 births
- 1970s 1,002
1970s
1,002 births
- 1980s 592
1980s
592 births
- 1990s 492
1990s
492 births
- 2000s 627
2000s
627 births
- 2010s 1,160
2010s
1,160 births
- 2020s 974
2020s
974 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,015 births (17% of all-time use).
How Althea compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Althea's total volume
Althea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Althea by state
Where Althea concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,567 | 8.7% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 1,425 | 7.9% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 978 | 5.4% |
| #4 | California | | 809 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 583 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Florida | | 577 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 545 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 431 | 2.4% |
New York share of Althea's total US births 8.7%
Even split
1,567 of 17,980 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Althea appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Althea? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 17,980 babies named Althea. Today it holds rank #1398 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 388 births.
When was Althea most popular? ▼
Althea was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,015 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Althea most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Althea are New York (1,567 births), Pennsylvania (1,425 births), Louisiana (978 births).
How long has the name Althea been used? ▼
Records for Althea go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Althea? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alta, Altha, Altagracia, Altie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Althea's data
- Althea's decade-level peak was the 1950s (3,015 total births); usage has since declined to 974 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Altheas (1,567 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Althea
Nearby Names Like Althea
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Althea
Alta Girl
#5963 28,931 births
Altha Girl
3,365 births
Altagracia Girl
779 births
Altie Girl
650 births
Alton Girl
375 births
Compare Althea side by side: Althea vs Alta Althea vs Altha Althea vs Altagracia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Althea
Arizbeth #1397
1,426 births · Peak 2022
Jewel #1399
41,485 births · Peak 1920
Honesty #1396
5,045 births · Peak 2014
Dottie #1400
9,998 births · Peak 1943
Rita #1395
284,452 births · Peak 1949
Evalynn #1401
3,649 births · Peak 2015
Annya #1394
658 births · Peak 2025
Chava #1402
3,552 births · Peak 2024
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Althea: #1398 Girls' Name - 17,980 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/althea. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Althea draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.