NameChart

Bertha

Girl name

Bertha has been given to 208,807 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1918.

Meaning & origin /ˈbɝθə/

Definitely from Old English Berþa as a result of metathesis of h, from earlier Old English Berhte (“bright one”), influence of Latin Bercta. Alternatively, from Old High German berhta (“bright one”), which was an epithet of the goddess Frigg.

Origin: Germanic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

01.263k2.526k3.788k5.051k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

208,807

Peak year

1918 (5,065 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

0%

Gender split

100% girls / 0% boys

Rank through the decades

Bertha's rank among U.S. girl names at 25-year milestones.

YearGirls rankBoys rank
1900#16#492
1925#74
1950#193
1975#605

— means outside the top 1000 that year.

Spellings & variants

Names one letter away from Bertha — alternate spellings parents actually use.

Famous people named Bertha

Bertha von Suttner

Austrian novelist, radical (organizational) pacifist, editor

Bertha Benz

German automobile pioneer, with husband Karl Benz (1849–1944)

Bertha Lutz

Brazilian scientist (1894-1976)

Bertha of Kent

6th century queen consort of Kent

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Bertha.

FAQ

How popular is the name Bertha?

Bertha has been given to 208,807 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.

When did the name Bertha peak?

Bertha peaked in 1918, when 5,065 babies were given the name.

Is Bertha a girl or boy name?

Bertha is primarily a girl name (100% of babies named Bertha are girls).

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