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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
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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
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; 1584 Martha StAnthonlin p. 30; 1585 Martha DEmar-vol2 p. 12, OrpingtonKe p. 7, StAnthonlin p. 31; 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
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
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: S.L. Uckelman. "Martha". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2019, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2019/1/name/Martha.