Girls' name · since 1914
Mertha
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 190 babies named Mertha, peaking in 1925. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #20,354 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 190
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
Mertha sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 190 recorded since 1914.
Mertha has 190 recorded births among girls since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 1953.
- #20,354 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 190 born since 1914
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Mertha ranks #20,354 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 190 born since 1914, peaking in the 1920s.
- #20,354 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 190
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
Mertha's 190 recorded births place it above 71.83% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by New Jersey.
Mertha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Mertha's SSA record in two at 1931 and the more recent half accounts for 45% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 55%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1914, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1925 peak of 17, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Mertha popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–1953
- Peak year (1925)
- 17
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Mertha by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (67 births, 35% of the file).
1920s was Mertha's strongest decade.
67 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Mertha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
33 births
- 1920s
1920s
67 births
- 1930s
1930s
48 births
- 1940s
1940s
31 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 67 births (35% of all-time use).
Mertha by state
Where Mertha concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Jersey | | 7 | 3.7% |
7 of 190 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Mertha's data
- Mertha's decade-level peak was the 1920s (67 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New Jersey records the most Merthas (7 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New Jersey names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Mertha
Nearby Names Like Mertha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mertha
Compare Mertha side by side: Mertha vs Meredith Mertha vs Mercedes Mertha vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Mertha: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1925)
Similar record span (~39 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1914–1953 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Mertha 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 August 2026.