Holding steady.
Popularity of Claretha since 1918
Babies named Claretha per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1948, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Claretha's real moment was 1933.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 17 |
| 1920s | 105 |
| 1930s | 216 |
| 1940s | 282 |
| 1950s | 298 |
| 1960s | 133 |
| 1970s | 41 |
| 1980s | 17 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Claretha is a rare feminine name of modern American origin, first recorded in 1918. It reached its peak popularity in 1933, a time when many compound and suffix-based names were fashionable. The name has since declined sharply; its latest year of record is 2025, with a rank of null and a 1-in-N incidence of null, indicating extremely low usage. The trajectory is stable, suggesting that the name persists at a very low level without signs of revival. While no top states are recorded for Claretha, its style aligns with early 20th century coinages that blended existing names like Clara or Claire with the popular -etha ending. Claretha remains a distinctive choice for families seeking a name with vintage American roots.
Claretha is a modern American coinage, likely formed by combining the popular name Claire (or Clara) with the fashionable suffix -etha, seen in names like Loretha and Minnetta. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1918 and saw its peak popularity in 1933. The name has since become rare.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Clare, Retha, Clary
Sibling names for Claretha
Names that share Claretha's style, for a brother or sister.
