Total births
190
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.
- 190
- total births
- 1914–1953
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that 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.
- 190 total births
- 1914–1953 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 35% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
190 girls have been named Mertha since 1914, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1953.
- 190
- total births
- 1914–1953
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Mertha was born in this single decade.
1925
Single peak year
17 babies were named Mertha in 1925 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1953Peak year
1925
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1914
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
New Jersey share of Mertha's total US births 3.7%
7 of 190 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mertha? ▼
Mertha has been given to 190 babies in the U.S. since 1914, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1953. 17 babies were born in 1925, its single highest year.
When was Mertha most popular? ▼
Mertha was most popular in the 1920s decade with 67 total births. The single peak year was 1925.
Where is Mertha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mertha are New Jersey (7 births).
How long has the name Mertha been used? ▼
Records for Mertha go back to 1914, giving 40 years of history through 1953.
What names are similar to Mertha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Meredith, Mercedes, Merle, Mercy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Mertha
Nearby Names Like Mertha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mertha
Meredith Girl
#492 77,787 births
Mercedes Girl
#1446 46,206 births
Merle Girl
14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#845 10,632 births
Merry Girl
#6942 10,369 births
Compare Mertha side by side: Mertha vs Meredith Mertha vs Mercedes Mertha vs Merle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mertha: Baby Name Since 1914 - 190 Births, Peak 1925." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mertha. 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 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 July 2026.