Claretha
A female given name of African-American usage, most popular in the mid-20th century.
Every Claretha since 1918 — 1,109 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Claretha
Claretha is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1918, 1,109 American babies have been named Claretha. Its peak came in 1948, when 41 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Claretha stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Claretha year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — |
| 2015 | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — |
| 2012 | — | — |
| 2011 | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2009 | — | — |
| 2008 | — | — |
| 2007 | — | — |
| 2006 | — | — |
| 2005 | — | — |
| 2004 | — | — |
| 2003 | — | — |
| 2002 | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1995 | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1975 | 9 | #6,057 |
| 1970 | 7 | #6,468 |
| 1965 | 14 | #3,427 |
| 1960 | 19 | #2,830 |
| 1955 | 21 | #2,414 |
| 1950 | 38 | #1,501 |
| 1945 | 25 | #1,666 |
| 1940 | 23 | #1,642 |
| 1935 | 18 | #1,857 |
| 1930 | 21 | #1,761 |
| 1925 | 6 | #4,528 |
| 1920 | 9 | #3,384 |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Claretha mean?
A female given name of African-American usage, most popular in the mid-20th century.
How popular is the name Claretha in 2025?
Claretha did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Claretha?
1,109 babies have been named Claretha in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Claretha most popular?
Claretha peaked in 1948, when 41 newborns received the name.
Is Claretha a boy or girl name?
Claretha is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Claretha rising or falling?
Claretha has been roughly stable over the past decade.