How popular is the baby name Martha in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Martha.

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Popularity of the baby name Martha


Posts that mention the name Martha

North Carolina triplets with rhyming names: Dessie, Bessie, Essie

Triplets Dessie, Bessie and Essie Justice (plus a younger sibling)
Dessie, Bessie, and Essie Justice

During the early decades of the the 20th century, Thomas Edward “Tommy” Justice and Laura Effie Justice (née Searcy) of Henderson County, North Carolina, welcomed 14 children — including a set of triplets.

Here are the names of all 14 siblings:

  1. Curtis Edward (born in 1900)
  2. Sidney Thomas (b. 1902)
  3. Dessie M. (b. 1904)
  4. Bessie Martha (b. 1904)
  5. Essie Margaret (b. 1904)
  6. Lula Belle (b. 1906)
  7. unnamed son (b. 1908)
  8. William Leonard (b. 1909)
  9. James Arthur (b. 1911)
  10. Anna May (b. 1914)
  11. Fred (b. 1917)
  12. Mary Sue (b. 1919)
  13. Laura Lee (b. 1921)
  14. George Washington (b. 1924)

Dessie, Bessie, and Essie were born in the family’s log cabin on March 16, 1904.

As children, Dessie and Bessie looked a lot alike, but Essie stood out because she “was the runt,” according to Dessie.

Dessie also noted that all three of them were “bashful” as youngsters:

We were entered in baby shows and attracted a lot of attention since we were triplets, but we didn’t like it. We would run and hide under the bed when people came to take our pictures. They would have to drag us to the shows and feed us ice cream behind the curtain to keep us at the show.

Speaking of Dessie…I wasn’t able to track down her middle name. What do you think Dessie’s middle initial, “M.,” might have stood for?

Sources:

Image: Clipping from Spirit of Missions magazine (Sept. 1911)

Baby names with ART: Arthur, Hartley, Stuart

paintings, art

Are you an art lover? Interested in baby names that contain the word ART?

If so, you’re in luck!

Below you’ll find hundreds of names that contain the letter sequence “a-r-t.” Most of these names come directly from the U.S. SSA’s baby name data.

  • Aarti, Aarthi, Arthi
  • Amartya
  • Art
  • Arta
  • Artadius
  • Artan
  • Artasia
  • Artavia
  • Artavion
  • Artavis
  • Artavius, Artavious
  • Arteen
  • Artelia
  • Artell
  • Artella
  • Artem
  • Artemas
  • Artemio
  • Artemis
  • Artemisa
  • Artemisia
  • Artemiy, Artemy
  • Artemus
  • Artena
  • Artensia
  • Arteo
  • Arter
  • Arteria
  • Artesha
  • Artesia
  • Artez
  • Arth
  • Artha
  • Arthar
  • Arthas
  • Arthea
  • Arthel, Arthell
  • Arthelia
  • Arthella
  • Arthemise
  • Arthena
  • Arthenia
  • Arther
  • Artherine
  • Arthetta
  • Arthor
  • Arthur
  • Arthuree
  • Arthurene
  • Arthurine
  • Arthuro
  • Arthus
  • Artia
  • Artiana
  • Artice
  • Artie, Arty, Artee
  • Artimas
  • Artimese
  • Artimus
  • Artin
  • Artina
  • Artis
  • Artisha
  • Artishia
  • Artist, Artyst
  • Arto
  • Artorius, Artorias
  • Artrell
  • Artresha
  • Artreus
  • Artrice
  • Artricia
  • Artrina
  • Artturi
  • Artur
  • Artura
  • Arturo
  • Artyom
  • Bart, Bartt
  • Bartek
  • Barth
  • Bartha
  • Bartholomew
  • Bartlett
  • Bartley, Bartly
  • Bartlomiej
  • Bartola
  • Bartolo
  • Bartolome
  • Bartolomeo
  • Barton
  • Bartosz
  • Bartow, Barto
  • Bartu
  • Barty
  • Benhart
  • Bernhart
  • Besart
  • Bogart
  • Cartavious
  • Carter, Cartyr
  • Cartez
  • Cartha
  • Carthel, Carthell
  • Carti
  • Cartier
  • Cartina
  • Cartisha
  • Cartlin
  • Cartney
  • Cartrell
  • Cartrina
  • Charta
  • Chartese
  • Chartez
  • Dalhart
  • Dart
  • Dartagnan, Dartanyan, Dartanian, Dartanyon, Dartanion
  • Dartanya
  • Dartavius, Dartavious
  • Dartez
  • Dartha
  • Darthea
  • Darthia
  • Darthula
  • Darthy
  • Dartisha
  • Dartrell
  • Dharti
  • Duarte
  • Earth
  • Eartha
  • Earther
  • Earthy
  • Erhart
  • Evart
  • Ewart
  • Fartun
  • Garth
  • Gartha
  • Gartrell
  • Gerhart
  • Hart
  • Hartej
  • Hartense
  • Hartford
  • Hartie
  • Hartlen
  • Hartley, Hartlee, Hartleigh, Hartlie, Hartly, Hartli
  • Hartlyn, Hartlynn
  • Hartman
  • Hartsel, Hartsell
  • Hartwell
  • Hartzell
  • Heart
  • Hearther
  • Heartley, Heartlee, Heartly
  • Heartlynn
  • Hobart
  • Hubart
  • Jacarter, Jakarter
  • Jartavis
  • Jartavius, Jartavious
  • Kartar
  • Karter, Kharter, Kartyr
  • Kartez
  • Karthikeyan
  • Karti
  • Kartier
  • Kartik, Karthik
  • Kartika, Karthika
  • Kartikeya, Karthikeya
  • Kartina
  • Kartrina
  • Lamart
  • Lartarsha
  • Lartha
  • Leart
  • Learta
  • Leartis
  • Lennart
  • Leonhart
  • Maarten
  • Macarthur, Mcarthur
  • Mart
  • Marta
  • Martae
  • Martain
  • Martaja, Martajah
  • Martarius
  • Martasia
  • Martavia
  • Martavian
  • Martavion, Martaveon
  • Martavis
  • Martavius, Martavious
  • Martay
  • Martaz
  • Marte
  • Marteen
  • Marteisha
  • Martel, Martell, Martelle
  • Martella
  • Martellis
  • Marten
  • Martena
  • Marterius
  • Marterrion
  • Martes
  • Martese
  • Martesha
  • Martez
  • Marteze
  • Marth
  • Martha
  • Marthalene
  • Marthana
  • Marthann, Marthanne
  • Martharee
  • Marthe
  • Marthel, Marthell
  • Marthella
  • Marthena
  • Marthenia
  • Marther
  • Marthia
  • Marthie, Marthy
  • Martia
  • Martial
  • Martiana
  • Martice
  • Marticia
  • Martiel
  • Martijn
  • Martika, Martica, Marteeka, Marteka
  • Martile
  • Martin
  • Martina
  • Martine
  • Martinez
  • Martini
  • Martiniano
  • Martinique
  • Martinis
  • Martino
  • Martinus
  • Martiqua
  • Martique
  • Martir
  • Martis
  • Martisa
  • Martise
  • Martisha
  • Martita
  • Martiza
  • Martize
  • Marton
  • Martrail
  • Martravious
  • Martrel, Martrell
  • Martrez
  • Martrice
  • Martricia
  • Martrina
  • Martwan, Martwon
  • Marty, Martie, Marti, Martee
  • Martyn
  • Martyna
  • Martynas
  • Mccarthy
  • Mccartney
  • Mccarty
  • Mozart
  • Nevart
  • Parth, Paarth
  • Partha
  • Parthena, Parthina
  • Parthenia
  • Parthiv
  • Prarthana
  • Quarterrio
  • Quartez
  • Quartney
  • Raymart
  • Reinhart, Rinehart
  • Robart
  • Saarth
  • Samarth
  • Sartaj, Sartaaj
  • Sarthak
  • Shartavia
  • Siddharth, Sidharth, Siddarth, Sidarth
  • Siddhartha
  • Spartaco
  • Spartacus
  • Spartan
  • Startasia
  • Stuart, Stewart
  • Taggart
  • Tarteel
  • Thearthur
  • Theartis
  • Vartan
  • Vedarth
  • Vidharth
  • Wharton
  • Yatharth
  • Yosgart, Yosgarth, Josgart

Some of the above are non-traditional spellings of more common names such as Heather and Robert.

Which ART name do you like most? Let me know in the comments!

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from French paintings in the Louvre, room 826 b (public domain)

Baby born on George Washington’s birthday, named George Washington

American statesman George Washington (1732-1799)
George Washington

George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born on February 22, 1732.

A few minutes before midnight on February 22, 1931 — almost 200 years later — Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Bushman of Chicago welcomed a baby boy. They named him George Washington Bushman.

But it doesn’t end there.

A few minutes after midnight, the baby’s twin sister was born. Her name? Martha Washington Bushman. (The real Martha Washington was born in June, incidentally.)

The twins’ patriotic names were chosen by their father, who was out of work at the time.

“That’s because I love America,” he said. “I love this country even when times are bad.”

(The twins were born in the middle of the Great Depression.)

Source: “Twins Named After George and Martha.” Portsmouth Times 24 Feb. 1931: 1.

Image: George Washington (1795) by Gilbert Stuart

What gave the baby name Tovah a boost in the late 1970s?

Actress Tovah Feldshuh in the TV miniseries "Holocaust" (1978)
Tovah Feldshuh in “Holocaust

The name Tovah appeared for the first time in the U.S. baby name data in 1976. It saw its highest-ever usage several years later, in both 1979 and 1980:

  • 1981: 31 baby girls named Tovah
  • 1980: 37 baby girls named Tovah
  • 1979: 37 baby girls named Tovah
  • 1978: 31 baby girls named Tovah
  • 1977: unlisted
  • 1976: 6 baby girls named Tovah [debut]
  • 1975: unlisted

What was drawing attention to the name around that time?

Stage and screen actress Tovah Feldshuh, who began appearing on Broadway, on television, and in the movies (in that order) during the 1970s.

The name’s 1976 debut could be due to Feldshuh’s dozen appearances (as supporting character Martha McKee) on the popular daytime soap opera Ryan’s Hope from May to August of that year.

The name’s peak usage followed Feldshuh’s Emmy-nominated role as Helena Slomova, a Jewish resistance fighter from Prague, in the memorable TV miniseries Holocaust. The four-part miniseries was originally broadcast in April of 1978, and then rebroadcast in September of 1979.

Tovah Feldshuh was born Terri Sue Feldshuh in New York City in 1952. The first part of her stage name comes from her Hebrew name, Tovah, which is the Hebrew word for “good.” (The feminine form of the word/name can also be transcribed Tova. The masculine form is Tov.)

What are your thoughts on the name Tovah?

P.S. The director of the TV miniseries Holocaust, Marvin J. Chomsky, also co-directed the TV miniseries Roots (1977).

Sources: Tovah Feldshuh – Wikipedia, Holocaust (miniseries) – Wikipedia, SSA
Image: Screenshot of the miniseries Holocaust