Holding steady.
Popularity of Hertha since 1886
Babies named Hertha per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hertha's real moment was 1902.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 40 |
| 1890s | 181 |
| 1900s | 221 |
| 1910s | 451 |
| 1920s | 312 |
| 1930s | 124 |
| 1940s | 90 |
| 1950s | 16 |
| 1960s | 18 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Hertha first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1886, reflecting a late-19th-century fascination with Germanic names. The name reached its peak popularity in 1902, ranking among the top 100 for girls that year, though it never reentered the top 1000 after the 1910s. With a trajectory that has been stable for decades, Hertha is now exceedingly uncommon; the most recent year with data (2025) shows fewer than five births nationwide. While its top states are not recorded, historical usage clustered in areas with German-American communities. The name's rarity today lends it a vintage, almost forgotten charm, and it remains a distinctive choice for parents drawn to names of the early 1900s.
Hertha likely originates from the Old English 'eorthe' (earth) or is a variant of Nerthus, a Germanic earth goddess. The spelling Hertha was popularized by 19th-century German literature and was briefly common in English-speaking countries at the turn of the century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Hert, Herta
Variants: Herta
Sibling names for Hertha
Names that share Hertha's style, for a brother or sister.
