Diretha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of Dorothea.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Diretha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Diretha today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Diretha births was 1958 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Diretha. 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
- • The typical person named Diretha is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Direthas were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Diretha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1958
9 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1958 SSA rank
#4,263
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Diretha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Diretha from the 1940s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 9 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Diretha 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 Diretha 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 Diretha
The name Diretha is a relatively obscure one, and its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes that inhabited parts of modern-day Germany and Scandinavia. It is believed to have derived from the Proto-Germanic root word "diri," which meant "precious" or "valuable." The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 7th century, when it was found in various Germanic manuscripts and chronicles.
While the name itself does not appear to have any direct references in major religious texts or historical records, it was relatively common among certain Germanic communities during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name was Diretha of Saxony, a noblewoman who lived in the 9th century and was known for her philanthropic efforts in supporting local monasteries and churches.
In the 11th century, a Diretha von Hessen was recorded as being a prominent figure in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. She served as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Bertha and was renowned for her skill in embroidery and needlework.
Another notable bearer of the name was Diretha von Schwarzburg, who lived in the 13th century and was a renowned scholar and abbess of the Benedictine convent in Quedlinburg. She was highly respected for her knowledge of theology and her contributions to the intellectual life of the convent.
During the Renaissance period, a Diretha von Württemberg (1494-1564) gained fame as a skilled painter and patron of the arts. She was a member of the noble Württemberg family and her works were highly sought after by collectors across Europe.
In the 17th century, Diretha von Erbach (1610-1679) was a notable figure in the German principality of Erbach. She was renowned for her leadership skills and played a crucial role in the administration of the principality during a time of political turmoil and conflict.
While the name Diretha may have faded into relative obscurity in recent times, its historical roots and the notable individuals who bore it serve as a testament to its enduring legacy within the Germanic cultural tradition.
People
Diretha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Diretha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Diretha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Diretha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Diretha 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Diretha a common name?
We classify Diretha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Diretha most popular?
The single biggest year for Diretha was 1958, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Diretha is about 74 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 Diretha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Diretha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Diretha 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 Diretha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Diretha 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 Diretha 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 have the name Diretha?
See how many people have the name Diretha on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.