The first name Althea
A girl’s name from Greek.
Pronounced /ælˈθi.ə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
From Althaia or Althaea of Greek mythology, from Ancient Greek Ἀλθαία (Althaía).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 23 girls were named Althea, making it the 1,362nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 30 births (#1,128).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Althea with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Althea at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 171 girls born in the United States were named Althea, the 1,299th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1956, when 388 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Althea
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Althea GibsonAmerican tennis player (1927-2003)
- Althéa LaurinFrench taekwondoin, born 2001
- Althea ReinhardtDanish handball player, born 1996
- Althea ShermanAmerican ornithologist, artist and educator (1853–1943)
- Kim GordonAmerican musician and artist, most known as co-founding member of Sonic Youth (born 1953)
- Louise BroughAmerican tennis player (1923–2014)
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Althea mean?
- From Althaia or Althaea of Greek mythology, from Ancient Greek Ἀλθαία (Althaía).
- What is the origin of the name Althea?
- From Althaia or Althaea of Greek mythology, from Ancient Greek Ἀλθαία (Althaía).
- How popular is the name Althea?
- In 2025, 23 girls born in England and Wales were named Althea, ranking 1,362nd. Its peak was 2021, with 30 births.
- Is Althea a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 17,985 US babies named Althea since 1880 were girls.
- When was Althea most popular?
- 1956 in the United States, when 388 babies were named Althea, its highest rank at 475th.
- How do you pronounce Althea?
- Althea is /ælˈθi.ə/, 3 syllables.