Bertha is a feminine given name of Germanic origin. It comes from the Old Germanic word "berhta" which means "bright" or "famous". The name Bertha has been used throughout history, with notable bearers including Empress Bertha of the Holy Roman Empire and Queen Bertha of the Franks.
The name Bertha gained popularity in England during the medieval period after it was brought over by the Normans. It continued to be used throughout the centuries and can still be found today among people named for their ancestors or simply because they like the sound of the name.
Despite its age, the name Bertha remains relatively uncommon compared to other names with similar meanings such as Clara or Bright. However, it has been used by several notable figures throughout history, including Bertha von Suttner who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905 for her efforts to promote peace and disarmament.
In popular culture, the name Bertha has been featured in various forms of media such as literature, film, and television. Some examples include "Bertha Mason," a character from Charlotte Brontë's novel "Jane Eyre," and "Bertha Rochester," a character from the TV series "Penny Dreadful."
Overall, Bertha is an interesting name with a long history that has been carried by many notable figures throughout time. Its meaning of "bright" or "famous" gives it a positive connotation that can make it an appealing choice for parents looking for a unique and meaningful name for their child.
The name Bertha has a rich history of popularity and usage in the United States, with fluctuations in its usage over time as reflected in these statistics.
In the late 19th century, around the 1880s to 1890s, Bertha was quite popular. The number of births each year ranged from approximately 1300 to nearly 3100. This period saw a steady increase in the usage of the name, with a peak in 1892 and 1893 at around 2600 births per year.
The early 20th century marked a significant decrease in the popularity of Bertha. The number of births dropped to around 2000 per year in the early 1900s, with fluctuations ranging from approximately 1700 to 3300 births each year until the late 1940s.
From the mid-1940s onwards, the usage of Bertha as a baby girl's name continued to decline. The number of births per year fell below 1000 in the 1950s and remained relatively low throughout the latter half of the century, ranging from around 80 to 367 births each year.
In recent years, the usage of Bertha as a baby girl's name has been quite rare. From 2000 onwards, there were fewer than 100 births per year, with some years seeing less than 50 births. The most recent data available shows that in 2022, there were 34 births registered for the name Bertha.
Despite its decline in popularity as a baby girl's name in recent decades, Bertha has a notable history of usage in the United States, with over 207,800 births recorded between 1880 and 2022. It is fascinating to observe how naming trends have evolved over time, with Bertha once being a popular choice for parents but now being used much less frequently.