Althea

Althea - A very unique female name

Althea appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #456. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Althea and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Althea? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Althea. The baby girl name Althea was given to 114 baby girls in 2025, ranking #1333 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 11,434 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Althea peaked in popularity 106 years ago in 1920 on position 372.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Althea, 1-5?

Althea is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Althea is currently topping the baby name charts in Oregon at position #628 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #3,320.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Althea is where you live.

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Althea origin and meaning

Greek

'Healing' — from Greek althaia, the marsh mallow plant used in healing, related to althein, to heal.

Althea is the Latinised form of Greek Althaia, a name tied to healing and, in myth, to the mother of Meleager. It has been in American data since 1910, peaked in 1956, and is rising again slowly as vintage Greek names return.

Attested etymology

Althea is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Althea, pop culture references for the name Althea and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Althea

We've found the following names that sound similar to Althea, sorted by popularity.

Alta / Aleta / Aletha / Alda / Alethea / Awilda / Aleida / Alida / Altha / Aleyda /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Althea

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Althea a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Althea?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

al-THEE-uh · /ælˈθiːə/
The data table lists 2 syllables, but the name is spoken with 3 — the table's count does not match the spoken name.

Around the world

• Althaia (Greek) — The original Greek form, a figure in Greek myth.

Spellings and nicknames

• Altha — Shorter related form, a name in its own right.

Nicknames: Thea

Famous bearers

• Althea Gibson — Tennis champion who broke the sport's colour barrier and won Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (1927–2003) Contemporary

Style

MythologicalVintage revivalClassic

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Althea for its soft, classical sound and the ready-made short form Thea.

Worth knowing

• Spelling and pronunciation both need a first correction for many people — it is often misread as Athena.