Arethea
Unblemished, perfect virtue; derived from Greek roots.
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Arethea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Arethea today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arethea births was 1968 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arethea. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Arethea. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1968
7 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
1972 SSA rank
#8,370
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Arethea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arethea from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 23 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arethea by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arethea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arethea
The name Arethea originates from Ancient Greek, where it is derived from the word "arête," meaning virtue or excellence. It first emerged during the classical period of ancient Greek civilization, around the 5th century BC.
Arethea was a relatively uncommon name in ancient Greece, but it held significant cultural and philosophical connotations. In Greek mythology, Arethea was a minor goddess associated with virtue, courage, and moral excellence. She was often depicted alongside the goddess Athena, who embodied wisdom and strategic warfare.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arethea appears in Plato's dialogue "Symposium," written around 385-370 BC. In this philosophical text, Plato discusses the concept of love and introduces a character named Arethea, who represents virtuous and honorable love.
Throughout the centuries, the name Arethea has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Arethea of Cyrene, a Greek mathematician and philosopher who lived in the 3rd century BC. She is known for her contributions to the study of mathematics and her involvement in the philosophical school of Cyrene.
In the 16th century, Arethea Grivelli (1510-1570) was an Italian poet and scholar from Padua. She was renowned for her literary works, particularly her collection of poems titled "Rime di Arethea Grivelli."
Another notable figure was Arethea Wheeler (1785-1865), an American author and educator from New York. She wrote several popular books on domestic economy and household management, which were influential in shaping the education of women in the 19th century.
In the field of literature, Arethea Welles Jarvis (1873-1947) was an American author and playwright. She wrote several novels and plays, including the popular work "Shining Adventure" published in 1921.
Finally, Arethea Frankenberger (1945-1998) was a German artist and sculptor known for her abstract and minimalist works. Her sculptures and installations were exhibited in galleries across Europe and the United States.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Arethea, which has carried a rich cultural and philosophical significance since its Ancient Greek origins.
People
Arethea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arethea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arethea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arethea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arethea going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Arethea a common name?
We classify Arethea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arethea most popular?
The single biggest year for Arethea was 1968, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arethea is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Arethea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Arethea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arethea in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Arethea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Arethea in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Arethea can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Arethea?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.