Name of the Week

 

Gentle, steady and modest Martha was a staple in 
Britain for over 300 years. Once again, she is winning over the
hearts of British parents who are looking for a homely antique. 

 

Origin:

A Latin transliteration of the Greek Μάρθα (Martha), which first appears as a given name in the New Testament. The Greek form is thought to be a translation of the Aramaic (specifically Chaldean) word מרתא (martā). The term originates as a feminine form of מרי (mry) "master," and so has the approximate meaning of "mistress," "lady," or "lady of the house"— much like the Latin domina. That Martha of Bethany in the New Testament was given this name is highly appropriate. The Book of Luke tells the story of when Jesus visited the home of sisters, Martha and Mary. Mary chooses to honour their guest by sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to his teachings; Martha (the "lady of the house") busies herself around the house in order to ensure that Jesus is comfortable. She was later made a saint, and her reputation as an industrious and attentive person made her the patroness of homemakers, cooks, servants, and all those who tend the sick and needy.

Usage:

Legend has it that Martha and her family travelled to Provence, and later Tarascon in France. There Martha, it is said, encountered a fearsome dragon that plagued the local people. She managed to tame the creature, and received the title "St. Martha the Dragonslayer" in turn. Her shrine is situated in Tarascon, and became the focus of her cult in the Middle Ages.  A few examples of Martha in use as a given name crop up across Europe in the Middle Ages but, for the most part, they are rare. In some cases the name was borne by medieval Scandinavian nobility (including a Queen of Sweden), but some of these examples appear to have been conflated with variants of Margaret.* In England, a handful of examples can be found in Canterbury between 1377-81. Usage of the name really kicked off at the end of the 16th century and steadily rose over the succeeding century. This upward curve is very clearly demonstrated in Smith-Bannister's frequency tables of 1538—1700. Martha ranked #40 in 1560-9, #26 in 1580-9, #20 in 1600-9, #15 in 1620-9, #14 in 1640-9, #9 in 1660-9, #8 in 1680-9.  The high usage of Martha led naturally to the need for diminutives. Matty was the first to be used for Martha, which in turn led to Patty and then Patsy. These nicknames were in widespread and standard use by the 18th century (Thomas Jefferson's daughters, for example, were Martha "Patsy" and Mary "Polly"). The name was still highly popular throughout the 19th century, and only began to decline toward the beginning of the 20th century. In England and Wales Martha ranked at #30 in 1890, #44 in 1900, #64 in 1904 and #84 in 1914 — after which it fell out of the Top 100. In Scotland, Martha ranked #19 in 1900 and was just hanging on in the Top 100 at #95 in 1950.  In recent years however, Martha has been enjoying a popular revival. Back in 1996 Martha ranked #214 (198 births) in England and Wales. It gradually picked up usage until, in 2005, it ranked #110 (456 births). That same year, lively Martha MacKenzie (2005-2010) debuted as a character on popular TV soap Home and Away, which may have helped boost Martha into the Top 100: #96 in 2006, #87 in 2007, #81 in 2008 and 2009, and #85 in 2010. In 2011, Martha ranked #83 overall with 723 births. Individually that equates to #87 in England and #66 in Wales. In Scotland Martha ranked #133 (38 births) in 2009, #116 (42 births) in 2010 and #116 (38 births) in 2011.

Famous Bearers:

History: * St Martha of Bethany, a woman who witnessed Jesus' resurrection. * St Martha, mother of Simeon Stylites the Younger, saint in the Eastern Orthodox church. * Martha of Armagnac (c.1348—1378), daughter of John I of Armagnac. * Martha Washington (1731—1802), wife of George Washington. * Martha Gellhorn (1908—1998), notable American novelist, travel writer, and journalist. Royalty: * Martha of Sweden (c.1277—1341), influential queen consort of King Birger of Sweden. * Princess Märtha of Sweden (1901—1954), granddaughter of King Oscar II of Sweden and the consort of Crown Prince Olav of Norway. * Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (b.1971), daughter of King Harald V and fourth in line to the Norwegian throne. Literature and Other Media: * Martha (1844), a romantic comic opera by Friedrich von Flotow. * Martha (1923), a short film made by Walt Disney. * Martha My Dear (1968), a Beatles song written by Paul McCartney * Martha Jones, a companion of the Doctor in Doctor Who.  * Martha MacKenzie, a character on Australian soap Home and Away. Other: * Martha's Vineyard, an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Variants:

Marthe (French, German), Marta (Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish), Martta (Finnish)

Pronunciation:

MAR-thə  [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Mari, Marty, Matty, Patsy, Pattie, Patty

Sibling Names:

Harriet     Louisa     Charlotte     Elinor     Flora     Esther  George     Ned     Samuel     Miles     Joseph     Frederick

Name Lists:

Popular Biblical Names   Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings   Royal Names of Europe   Dickensian Names   Names of Roses

 

If you like Martha you may also like:   Clara, Matilda, Tabitha, Miriam, Dinah, Lois, Blythe, Lydia, Josephine, Norah