Total births
551,741
Girls' name · since 1880
Martha
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 551,741 babies named Martha, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #666
- among girls today
- 551,741
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Martha currently ranks #666 among girls' names in America, with 551,741 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Martha has been recorded 551,741 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #666 nationally and more common than 96% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #666 among girls today
- 551,741 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Martha is currently the #666 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 551,741 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #666
- among girls today
- 551,741
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Martha vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#666
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Martha was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
10,651 babies were named Martha in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Martha compares
551,741 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Martha's all-time total is 1,444x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Martha | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 551,741 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 10,651 | 48 | 19,840 |
Martha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Martha splits its recorded history at 1953: 27% of all births land in the more recent half, 73% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2013 (344 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 10,651 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Martha at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#666
Active since
1880
Martha popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 10,651
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Martha popularity over time - boys
1,991 total births recorded since 1882 (Martha as boys' name)
Martha by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Martha's strongest decade.
95,384 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Martha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 13,911
1880s
13,911 births
- 1890s 19,415
1890s
19,415 births
- 1900s 21,750
1900s
21,750 births
- 1910s
1910s
59,508 births
- 1920s
1920s
86,788 births
- 1930s
1930s
77,697 births
- 1940s
1940s
95,384 births
- 1950s
1950s
83,190 births
- 1960s
1960s
41,040 births
- 1970s 17,926
1970s
17,926 births
- 1980s 13,039
1980s
13,039 births
- 1990s 9,750
1990s
9,750 births
- 2000s 6,179
2000s
6,179 births
- 2010s 3,743
2010s
3,743 births
- 2020s 2,421
2020s
2,421 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 95,384 births (17% of all-time use).
How Martha 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 Martha's total volume
Martha vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Martha by state
Where Martha concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 41,010 | 7.4% |
| #2 | California | | 29,790 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 28,365 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 27,384 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 26,827 | 4.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 24,041 | 4.4% |
| #7 | New York | | 22,607 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 22,228 | 4.0% |
Texas share of Martha's total US births 7.4%
Even split
41,010 of 551,741 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Martha appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Martha? ▼
551,741 babies have been named Martha since 1880. It currently ranks #666 among girls. The peak year was 1947 with 10,651 births.
When was Martha most popular? ▼
Martha was most popular in the 1940s decade with 95,384 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Martha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Martha are Texas (41,010 births), California (29,790 births), Pennsylvania (28,365 births).
How long has the name Martha been used? ▼
Records for Martha go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Martha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Marie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Martha's data
- Martha's decade-level peak was the 1940s (95,384 total births); usage has since declined to 2,421 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Marthas (41,010 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Martha
Nearby Names Like Martha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Martha
Mary Girl
#131 4,141,481 births
Margaret Girl
#119 1,264,774 births
Maria Girl
#74 566,111 births
Marie Girl
#632 540,077 births
Marilyn Girl
#665 373,791 births
Compare Martha side by side: Martha vs Mary Martha vs Margaret Martha vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Martha
Marilyn #665
373,791 births · Peak 1947
Khaleesi #667
5,537 births · Peak 2018
Dulce #664
20,306 births · Peak 2007
Adley #668
6,160 births · Peak 2021
Macy #663
32,749 births · Peak 2003
Ellianna #669
6,212 births · Peak 2023
Rosa #662
177,415 births · Peak 1925
Chana #670
13,921 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. "Martha: #666 Girls' Name - 551,741 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/martha. 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 Martha 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.