Holding steady.
Popularity of Altha since 1880
Babies named Altha per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1917, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Altha's real moment was 1884.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 165 |
| 1890s | 282 |
| 1900s | 331 |
| 1910s | 738 |
| 1920s | 813 |
| 1930s | 459 |
| 1940s | 287 |
| 1950s | 184 |
| 1960s | 86 |
| 1970s | 20 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Altha is a name that saw its peak popularity in the late 19th century, with its highest rank of 73 in 1884, the same year it was recorded most frequently. Despite its rarity today, the name has a stable trajectory, never fully disappearing but remaining a quiet choice. Dating back to at least 1880, Altha fits within a broader trend of soft-sounding feminine names ending in 'a' that were common in the 1880s. While its top states are not recorded, its usage was likely spread across rural and small-town America, reflecting the naming patterns of the era.
Altha is likely a contracted form of Althea, a name from Greek mythology borne by the mother of Meleager. The name Althea derives from the Greek verb althein (ἀλθαίνω), meaning 'to heal'. Altha emerged as an independent name in the 19th century, particularly in the United States, where it enjoyed modest use from the 1880s through the early 1900s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Allie
Sibling names for Altha
Names that share Altha's style, for a brother or sister.
