The first name Bertha
A girl’s name from German meaning “bright one”.
Pronounced /ˈbɝθə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
German origin
Bertha means “bright one” in German.
Definitely from Old English Berþa as a result of metathesis of h, from earlier Old English Berhte (“bright one”), influence of Latin Bercta. Alternatively, from Old High German berhta (“bright one”), which was an epithet of the goddess Frigg.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Bertha last appeared in the official list in 2017, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2009, with 3 births (#5,556).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Bertha with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Bertha at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 30 girls born in the United States were named Bertha, the 4,569th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 5,051 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.
Bertha in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Bertha in Danish and German too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Bertha
39 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Bertha von SuttnerAustrian novelist, radical (organizational) pacifist, editor, 1843–1914
- Bertha BenzGerman automobile pioneer, with husband Karl Benz (1849–1944)
- Bertha LutzBrazilian scientist (1894-1976)
- Bertha of Kent6th century queen consort of Kent, 565–612
- Bertha PappenheimAustrian feminist (1859–1936)
- Bertha WegmannDanish painter (1847-1926)
- Bertha KruppGerman business woman (1886–1957)
- Bertha BrouwerDutch sprinter (1930–2006)
- Bertha SwirlesBritish mathematician & academic (1903-1999)
- Bertha LammeAmerican engineer, 1864–1943
- Bertha Eckstein-DienerAustrian writer and historian (1874–1948)
- Bertha M. StonemanAmerican born South African botanist (1866-1943)
More German girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Bertha mean?
- Bertha means “bright one” in German.
- What is the origin of the name Bertha?
- Definitely from Old English Berþa as a result of metathesis of h, from earlier Old English Berhte (“bright one”), influence of Latin Bercta. Alternatively, from Old High German berhta (“bright one”), which was an epithet of the goddess Frigg.
- How popular is the name Bertha?
- In 2017, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Bertha, ranking 5,765th. Its peak was 2009, with 3 births.
- What are nicknames for Bertha?
- Common nicknames for Bertha include Berdie.
- Is Bertha a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 208,807 US babies named Bertha since 1880 were girls.
- When was Bertha most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 5,051 babies were named Bertha, its highest rank at 51st.
- How do you pronounce Bertha?
- Bertha is /ˈbɝθə/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Bertha?
- Berta.