Teretha
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "tharos", meaning courage or bravery.
Name Census estimates that about 376 living Americans carry the first name Teretha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Teretha today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teretha births was 1952 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teretha. 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 Teretha is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Terethas were born before 1970.
People living today
376
~ 1 in 911,581 Americans
Peak year
1952
26 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1982 SSA rank
#10,408
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Teretha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teretha from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 181 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
Teretha 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 Teretha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terethas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas recorded the most babies named Teretha, while Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Teretha
The name Teretha is a unique and intriguing moniker with roots that can be traced back to ancient times. Its precise origin remains shrouded in mystery, but linguistic scholars speculate that it may have derived from the Greek word "therapeuo," which translates to "to serve" or "to minister." This connection suggests that the name may have held significance in religious or spiritual contexts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Teretha can be found in the writings of the renowned Greek philosopher Plato. In his dialogues, he mentions a woman by this name, though little is known about her historical significance. However, the mere inclusion of the name in Plato's works indicates that it was in use during the 4th century BCE in ancient Greece.
As the centuries passed, the name Teretha seemingly faded from prominence, only to resurface in the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, a Benedictine nun named Teretha of Wilton gained recognition for her piety and dedication to the monastic life. Her existence is documented in the annals of the Wilton Abbey, where she resided until her passing in 1170.
Fast forward to the Renaissance period, and we encounter Teretha Agnesi, an Italian mathematician and philosopher born in 1718. Agnesi made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the study of differential and integral calculus. Her work, "Analytical Institutions," published in 1748, garnered widespread acclaim and cemented her place in history as a pioneering female intellectual.
In the realm of literature, the name Teretha found its way into the works of the renowned British novelist Jane Austen. In her novel "Sense and Sensibility," published in 1811, one of the minor characters bears the name Teretha. While her role in the story is brief, Austen's inclusion of the name suggests its continued use during the early 19th century.
Lastly, we cannot overlook the historical figure of Teretha Drummond, a prominent American abolitionist and women's rights activist born in 1825. Drummond dedicated her life to fighting against slavery and advocating for equal rights, traveling extensively to deliver speeches and rallying support for the cause. Her unwavering commitment to social justice left an indelible mark on the abolitionist movement and the fight for equality.
While the name Teretha may not be as widely recognized today as some other monikers, its rich history and diverse representation across various fields and eras make it a fascinating subject of study. From ancient Greece to the Renaissance and beyond, this name has woven itself into the tapestry of human civilization, carrying with it the stories and legacies of remarkable individuals who have left their mark on the world.
People
Teretha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teretha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Teretha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teretha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 376 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teretha 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 911,581 US residents.
Is Teretha a common name?
We classify Teretha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 665 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teretha most popular?
The single biggest year for Teretha was 1952, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teretha is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Teretha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Teretha 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.