Ortha
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Greek element meaning "dawn".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Ortha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ortha today is around 92 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ortha births was 1923 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ortha. 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 Ortha is about 92 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orthas were born before 1944.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ortha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1923
20 babies that year
Average age
92
years old
1942 SSA rank
#5,191
Tracked since 1904
Popularity
Ortha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ortha from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 116 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ortha 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 Ortha 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 Ortha
The name Ortha is a rare feminine given name of uncertain origin, though it is believed to have roots in both Greek and Latin cultures. Some scholars suggest it may be derived from the Greek word "orthos," meaning "straight" or "upright," while others link it to the Latin word "orta," meaning "arisen" or "born."
One of the earliest known references to the name Ortha can be found in ancient Greek texts, where it was occasionally used as a feminine variant of the male name Orthos. However, its use in antiquity was relatively uncommon, and it did not gain widespread popularity until much later.
In the Middle Ages, the name Ortha surfaced sporadically in various European regions, particularly in areas with strong Greek or Latin cultural influences. It was occasionally bestowed upon women of noble birth or those with ties to the clergy, though it remained a relatively rare choice.
One notable figure bearing the name Ortha was Ortha of Saxony, a 10th-century German noblewoman who played a significant role in the establishment of several monasteries and religious institutions in the region. Her exact dates of birth and death are unknown, but historical records place her life between the late 900s and early 1000s.
Another individual named Ortha was Ortha di Montalto, an Italian nun and mystic who lived in the 16th century (approximately 1510-1588). She was renowned for her spiritual visions and wrote extensively on religious matters, leaving behind a collection of writings that were widely circulated among the faithful.
In the realm of literature, the name Ortha appeared in several works, including the 17th-century play "The Tragedy of Ortha" by the English playwright John Webster (c. 1580-1634). The play, though not widely known today, featured a character named Ortha and explored themes of love, betrayal, and revenge.
Another notable figure named Ortha was Ortha Lourdes Gonzalez (1897-1978), a Puerto Rican educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a pivotal role in promoting educational opportunities for women and campaigning for gender equality in her native country.
While the name Ortha has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and time periods, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the richness of the name's legacy.
People
Ortha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ortha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ortha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ortha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ortha 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Ortha a common name?
We classify Ortha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 254 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ortha most popular?
The single biggest year for Ortha was 1923, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ortha is about 92 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 Ortha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ortha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ortha 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 Ortha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ortha 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 Ortha 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 Ortha?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.