Total births
10,597
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.
- 10,597
- total births
- 1884–2014
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 20%
- born in that 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.
- 10,597 total births
- 1884–2014 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 20% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
10,597 girls have been named Retha since 1884, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2014.
- 10,597
- total births
- 1884–2014
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 20%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Retha was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
252 babies were named Retha in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1924
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1884
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
North Carolina share of Retha's total US births 9.2%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1884, Social Security records show 10,597 babies named Retha. The most recent recorded year was 2014. Its busiest year on record was 1924, with 252 births.
When was Retha most popular? ▼
Retha was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,078 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Retha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Retha are North Carolina (970 births), Georgia (748 births), Texas (676 births).
How long has the name Retha been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Retha since 1884 -- 131 years through the most recent 2014 data.
What names are similar to Retha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Reta, Retta, Retal, Retaj, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Retha
Nearby Names Like Retha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Retha
Reta Girl
8,616 births
Retta Girl
#12164 3,399 births
Retal Girl
#4031 341 births
Retaj Girl
#9406 244 births
Rettie Girl
163 births
Compare Retha side by side: Retha vs Reta Retha vs Retta Retha vs Retal
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Antonella #234
10,571 births · Peak 2024
Portia #5973
10,627 births · Peak 1989
Brook #5470
10,630 births · Peak 1980
Leyla #600
10,564 births · Peak 2022
Mercy #845
10,632 births · Peak 2019
Gisselle #1619
10,551 births · Peak 2000
Denice #13620
10,649 births · Peak 1957
Jaylah #1205
10,661 births · Peak 2013
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, 1884–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Retha: Baby Name Since 1884 - 10,597 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/retha. 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 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 July 2026.