Alethea
Girl name · #3032 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Alethea? In official American birth records, Alethea has been tracked continuously since 1892, giving it 133 years of documented American history.
Alethea ranks #3032 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 54 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3767, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 33,333 girls born in 2025 was named Alethea.
The 133-year story
Alethea first appears in the Social Security records in 1892, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1973, when 322 girls were named Alethea — good for #522 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Alethea per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alethea against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alethea in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Alethea is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Alethea will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Alethea is most common
State-level data for Alethea is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Alethea
Statistically, parents drawn to Alethea tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Althea, Malinda, Suzanna, Adria, and Keysha.
AltheaMalindaSuzannaAdriaKeyshaAdelitaMelisaYolanda
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alethea | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54 | #3028 |
| 2024 | 65 | #2661 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2415 |
| 2022 | 80 | #2319 |
| 2021 | 81 | #2266 |
| 2020 | 62 | #2682 |
| 2019 | 51 | #3130 |
| 2018 | 29 | #4662 |
| 2017 | 50 | #3192 |
| 2016 | 28 | #4850 |
| 2015 | 40 | #3767 |
| 2014 | 36 | #4103 |
| 2013 | 40 | #3778 |
| 2012 | 28 | #4957 |
| 2011 | 33 | #4353 |
| 2010 | 25 | #5414 |
| 2009 | 26 | #5378 |
| 2008 | 28 | #5142 |
| 2007 | 34 | #4380 |
| 2006 | 26 | #5233 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4828 |
| 2004 | 34 | #4093 |
| 2003 | 38 | #3655 |
| 2002 | 26 | #4621 |
| 2001 | 34 | #3785 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Alethea?
In official American birth records, the name Alethea first appeared in 1892 (over 133 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Alethea a popular girl name?
Alethea ranked #3032 among girls in 2025 with 54 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3767.
When was the name Alethea most popular?
Alethea peaked in 1973, when 322 American girls received the name (ranked #522 that year). Since 1973 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alethea?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 33,333 newborn American girls was named Alethea. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.