Martha comes from the Aramaic marta and means "lady" or "mistress of the house". In the Gospels Martha of Bethany is the busy, practical sister of Mary and Lazarus, and in America the name belongs to Martha Washington, the first First Lady, and to Martha Stewart. Martha was a top 20 name in the early 20th century; it ranked number 373 in 2000 and has settled between 660 and 800 over the past decade, ranking number 713 in 2025.