Marta
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "lady" or "mistress".
Name Census estimates that about 13,482 living Americans carry the first name Marta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marta today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marta births was 1957 (444 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marta. 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.
People living today
13K
~ 1 in 25,423 Americans
Peak year
1957
444 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1989 SSA rank
#2,123
Tracked since 1888
Gender
Gender distribution for Marta
Out of the 17,486 babies given the name Marta since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Marta as a male name
- Ranked #5,053 in 1989
- 10 male births in 1989
- Peak: 1989 (10 births)
Marta as a female name
- Ranked #2,123 in 2024
- 90 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1957 (444 births)
Popularity
Marta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marta from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 4,163 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marta 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 Marta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Martas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 37 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Marta, while Utah, South Carolina, Maine recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 350 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marta
The name Marta has its origins in the Aramaic language, which was spoken in ancient times in the Middle East. It is derived from the Aramaic word "marta," meaning "mistress" or "lady." This name was likely introduced into various cultures and languages through trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Road and other ancient trade routes.
In the Bible, Marta is the name given to the sister of Lazarus and Mary, who is mentioned in the Gospel of John. This biblical reference likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the name among early Christian communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marta can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder, who lived in the first century AD. He mentioned a woman named Marta in his work "Naturalis Historia."
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Marta. One of the most famous was Marta of Béthanie, a medieval French saint who lived in the 12th century and was known for her piety and charitable works.
Another notable Marta was Marta Abreu, a 19th-century Cuban businesswoman and philanthropist who was born in 1845 and played a significant role in the development of the sugar industry in Cuba.
In the world of literature, Marta Hillers was a 20th-century Austrian writer and poet, born in 1911, who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
The name Marta also has a strong presence in the arts. Marta Eggerth, born in 1912, was a Hungarian-American actress and operetta singer who achieved success on both stage and screen in the mid-20th century.
In the realm of sports, Marta Vieira da Silva, born in 1986, is a Brazilian professional footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest female players of all time. She has won numerous accolades, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year six times.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Marta
People
Marta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Marta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13,482 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marta 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 25,423 US residents.
Is Marta a common name?
We classify Marta as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17,486 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marta most popular?
The single biggest year for Marta was 1957, when 444 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marta is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marta a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Marta 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.
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.