Bertha
Girl name · #4546 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Bertha? In official American birth records, Bertha has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 30 baby girls were named Bertha, placing it at #4546 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4584, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 girls born in 2025 was named Bertha.
The 145-year story
Bertha first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 1,320 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 5,051 girls were named Bertha — good for #51 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 Bertha per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bertha against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bertha in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bertha is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Bertha will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Bertha is most common
State-level data for Bertha 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 Bertha
Statistically, parents drawn to Bertha tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Thelma, Bernice, Rowena, Verna, and Sallie.
ThelmaBerniceRowenaVernaSallieEugeniaIrmaElva
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bertha | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2024 | 29 | #4669 |
| 2023 | 30 | #4565 |
| 2022 | 34 | #4202 |
| 2021 | 25 | #5091 |
| 2020 | 28 | #4648 |
| 2019 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2018 | 28 | #4768 |
| 2017 | 28 | #4811 |
| 2016 | 36 | #4083 |
| 2015 | 30 | #4584 |
| 2014 | 34 | #4269 |
| 2013 | 28 | #4887 |
| 2012 | 28 | #4957 |
| 2011 | 47 | #3407 |
| 2010 | 41 | #3745 |
| 2009 | 46 | #3512 |
| 2008 | 45 | #3584 |
| 2007 | 63 | #2858 |
| 2006 | 73 | #2512 |
| 2005 | 58 | #2827 |
| 2004 | 71 | #2396 |
| 2003 | 59 | #2673 |
| 2002 | 80 | #2113 |
| 2001 | 99 | #1795 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Bertha?
In official American birth records, the name Bertha first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 1,320 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Bertha a popular girl name?
Bertha ranked #4546 among girls in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4584.
When was the name Bertha most popular?
Bertha peaked in 1918, when 5,051 American girls received the name (ranked #51 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bertha?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American girls was named Bertha. 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.