Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Martha f. Aramaic מַרְתָּא 'the mistress'.

The name of the Biblical sister of Mary and Lazarus later revered as a saint, a 3rd C Persian saint, a 6th C Syrian saint, and a 14th C queen consort of Sweden. Wycliffite Bible (1395): Martha .

The name was never especially common, but it gained popularity in England in the second half of the 16th C.

Belgium
Dutch
1597x1598 Martha BoonenGes p. 322
Czech Republic
Latin
1349 Martha (nom) chlumecky 144; 1356 Martha (nom) ibid. 145
England
Latin
1571 Martha (nom) RegSoABap p. 17
Dutch
1571 Martha AuFr s'Keijsers; 1576 Martha ibid. Saghere; 1580 Maerta ibid. Pietersen; 1597 Martha ibid. p. 90
Early Modern English
1541 Martha StAnthonlin p. 2; 1544 Marthat ibid. p. 4; 1561 Martha bruton1 p. 31; 1564 Martha OrpingtonKe p. 2; 1568 Martha StAnthonlin p. 19; 1569/70 Martha RegBisham p. 3; 1571 Martha OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1573 Martha BEmar-vol2 p. 129; 1577 Martha ibid. p. 129, BUmar-vol9 p. 6; 1578 Martha StAnthonlin p. 27; 1580 Martha BEmar-vol2 p. 130, StAnthonlin p. 27; 1581 Martha BEmar-vol2 p. 130; 1583/4 Martha RegPat p. 35; 1584 Martha ibid. p. 105, StAnthonlin p. 30; 1585 Martha DEmar-vol2 p. 12, OrpingtonKe p. 7; 1585/6 Martha RegPat p. 36; 1585 Martha StAnthonlin p. 31; 1587 Martha RegPat p. 107; 1589/90 Martha BEmar-vol1 p. 13; 1589 Martha CAmar-vol1 p. 4; 1590 Martha BEmar-vol2 p. 130, StAnthonlin p. 34; 1591 Martha BEmar-vol1 p. 14; 1592/3 Martha RegFord p. 2; 1593 Martha BEmar-vol2 p. 131; 1594 Martha RegBisham p. 5, SaxhamSf p. 40; 1596 Martha BUmar-vol9 p. 9, StAnthonlin p. 38, StMary-Ke p. v; 1598/9 Martha RegFord p. 3; 1599 Martha DEmar-vol2 p. 41
Middle French
1580 Marte WCS p. 44; 1581 Marte ibid. p. 45, Marthe ibid. p. 45; 1582 Marthe ibid. p. 17; 1583 Marte ibid. p. 17; 1584 Marthe ibid. p. 19; 1586 Marthe ibid. p. 47; 1587 Marthe ibid. p. 47; 1589 Marthe ibid. p. 22; 1591 Marthe ibid. p. 49
Walloon
1590/1 Marte RWC p. 15, Marthe ibid. p. 15; 1591 Marte ibid. p. 19, Marthe ibid. p. 17; 1591/2 Marthe ibid. p. 19; 1592 Marthe ibid. p. 22; 1593 Marte ibid. p. 27; 1593/4 Marthe ibid. p. 564; 1594 Marte ibid. p. 32, Marthe ibid. p. 33; 1595 Marthe ibid. p. 37; 1595/6 Marthe ibid. p. 41; 1596 Marthe ibid. p. 43; 1597 Marthe ibid. p. 47; 1599 Marthe ibid. p. 52
France
Latin
814 Marta (nom) StVdM-II C11; c823 Marta (nom) irminon-vol2 38, Palatiolum; 1274 Martha (nom) RegToul-13thC p. 60
Old French
1292 Marte (obl) HistHdVParis p. 109
Middle French
1561 Marthe RegPCC-1 p. 2; 1562 Marthe ibid. p. 6; 1563 Marthe ibid. p. 21; 1564 Marthe ibid. p. 57; 1565 Marthe ibid. p. 115; 1566 Marthe ibid. p. 227; 1567 Marthe ibid. p. 283; 1568 Marthe ibid. p. 404; 1571 Marthe ibid. p. 438
Italy
Latin
1366 Marta (nom) Livi 4, Martam (acc) ibid. 20; 1367 Marta (nom) ibid. 149, Martam (acc) ibid. 119; 1368 Marta (nom) ibid. 235, Martam (acc) ibid. 183; 1370 Marta (nom) ibid. 261; 1460 Marta (nom) SDHK no. 42126; 1522x1532 Martha (nom) DSF p. 50, 2
Italian
1401 Marta SDHK no. 15739
Ukraine
Latin
1469 Martha (nom) AGZ-18 19, Martham (acc) ibid. 19, Marthe (dat) ibid. 19
Cite as: A. Brown, S.L. Uckelman. "Martha". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Martha.