The first name Aretha
A girl’s name.
3 syllables Female
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Aretha last appeared in the official list in 2022, given to 4 girls. It peaked in 2002, with 4 births (#3,409).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Aretha with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Aretha at birth, 1880–2025
In 2023, 6 girls born in the United States were named Aretha, the 13,625th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1968, when 543 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 Aretha
2 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Aretha FranklinAmerican singer, songwriter, and pianist (1942–2018)
- Aretha ThurmondAmerican discus thrower, born 1976
Questions
- How popular is the name Aretha?
- In 2022, 4 girls born in England and Wales were named Aretha, ranking 4,645th. Its peak was 2002, with 4 births.
- Is Aretha a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 5,656 US babies named Aretha since 1880 were girls.
- When was Aretha most popular?
- 1968 in the United States, when 543 babies were named Aretha, its highest rank at 398th.