Robertha
A feminine variant of the German name Robert, meaning "bright renown".
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the first name Robertha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Robertha today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Robertha births was 1921 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Robertha. 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 Robertha is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Roberthas were born before 1962.
People living today
156
~ 1 in 2,197,143 Americans
Peak year
1921
20 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1982 SSA rank
#11,853
Tracked since 1905
Popularity
Robertha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Robertha from the 1900s through to the 1980s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 152 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
Robertha 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 Robertha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Roberthas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Robertha
The given name Robertha is derived from the Germanic root name Robert, which itself is a combination of the words "hrod" meaning "fame" and "beraht" meaning "bright". The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the early medieval period in France and Germany.
In the 8th century, there was a Robertha who was the daughter of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor. She lived from around 776 AD to 835 AD and became a Benedictine nun, founding the monastery of Notre Dame d'Avenay in France.
Another notable Robertha was Robertha of Saxony, who lived from around 1142 to 1195. She was a German noblewoman and the wife of Albert the Bear, the first Margrave of Brandenburg. Robertha played a significant role in the establishment of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
In the 13th century, there was Robertha de Beaumont, a French noblewoman who lived from around 1205 to 1272. She was the wife of William de Beaumont, Earl of Warwick, and was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the time.
During the Renaissance period, there was Robertha di Castiglione, an Italian noblewoman who lived from around 1460 to 1520. She was a member of the prestigious Castiglione family and was renowned for her patronage of the arts and her influence in the cultural circles of the time.
Another notable Robertha was Robertha van der Noot, a Dutch poet and writer who lived from around 1550 to 1620. She was a prominent figure in the Dutch Renaissance and was known for her religious and moral writings, as well as her translations of works from Latin and Greek.
While the name Robertha has its roots in Germanic and medieval European cultures, it has been used across various regions and cultures throughout history. The name carries a sense of fame, brightness, and nobility, reflecting its origins and the historical figures who have borne it.
People
Robertha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Robertha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Robertha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Robertha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 156 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Robertha 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 2,197,143 US residents.
Is Robertha a common name?
We classify Robertha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 548 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Robertha most popular?
The single biggest year for Robertha was 1921, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Robertha is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Robertha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Robertha 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.