Girls' name · since 1884
Retha
Retha has 10,597 recorded births since 1884 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1924 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,600 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 10,597
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
10,597 girls have been named Retha since 1884, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Retha has been recorded 10,597 times among girls since 1884, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2014.
- #1,600 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 10,597 born since 1884
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Retha ranks #1,600 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 10,597 born since 1884, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,600 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 10,597
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
Retha's 10,597 recorded births place it above 97.78% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
24 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
Retha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Retha splits its recorded history at 1942: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1924 peak of 252 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Retha popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2014
- Peak year (1924)
- 252
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Retha by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,078 births, 20% of the file).
1920s was Retha's strongest decade.
2,078 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Retha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 30
1880s
30 births
- 1890s 178
1890s
178 births
- 1900s 446
1900s
446 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,372 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,078 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,868 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,702 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,595 births
- 1960s
1960s
872 births
- 1970s 257
1970s
257 births
- 1980s 143
1980s
143 births
- 1990s 46
1990s
46 births
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,078 births (20% of all-time use).
How Retha 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 Retha's total volume
Retha by state
Where Retha concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 970 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 748 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 676 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Arkansas | | 602 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 576 | 5.4% |
| #6 | South Carolina | | 465 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 436 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 419 | 4.0% |
970 of 10,597 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Retha appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Retha? ▼
Where does Retha sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Retha most popular? ▼
Where is Retha most popular? ▼
How long has the name Retha been used? ▼
What names are similar to Retha? ▼
What to do with Retha's data
- Retha's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,078 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Rethas (970 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Retha
Nearby Names Like Retha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Retha
Compare Retha side by side: Retha vs Reta Retha vs Retta Retha vs Retal
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Retha: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1924)
Similar record span (~130 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, 1884–2014 (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 Retha 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.