Agatha
Feminine · “good”
Agatha is good, in Greek — agathos, the plain adjective — and the saint who carried it is patron of bellfounders, because her feast bells were rung against Etna's eruptions.
How old is the name Agatha?
Agatha was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Agatha alive today was born around 1930, making them about 95 years old. About 3,900 people named Agatha are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Agatha most popular?
Agatha peaked in 1891, reaching #365 nationally. Today it ranks #1703, 1,338 places below that high. See the whole 1891 chart.
Where it comes from
From agathos to Agatha
The story of Agatha
Agatha of Sicily was martyred at Catania in the third century and is invoked against fire and volcanic eruption; her veil was carried in procession against Etna's flows. The name spread through medieval Europe and was a Victorian revival. Agatha Christie carried it. It appears in American records rising again and is in current use.
Meaning
good
From the Greek agathos, 'good' — one of the central words of Greek moral philosophy, the good that Plato's Republic circles around. The name is simply its feminine. The word is ordinary Greek and the meaning undisputed.
How the name formed
- agathos
- Agathe
- Agatha
Related forms: Agathe · Agata · Águeda · Agata
Pronouncing Agatha
AG-uh-thuh
Three syllables, stress on the first. German Agathe is ah-GAH-teh with the stress in the middle.
Nicknames for Agatha
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 1918218 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #365reached in 1891
- Change vs 2022
- +3.4%120 in 2025, from 116
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Agatha in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Agathe in German — related form
- Agata in Italian — related form
- Águeda in Spanish — related form
- Agata in Polish — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Florida, California, Texas.
Agathas among us
people named Agatha are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 13,394 born in 2025 was named Agatha
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Agatha is on its second act. Revived names age gently: the generation that wore them first is far enough away that the name feels classic rather than dated.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Agatha is headed
Agatha should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Agatha beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Agatha in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The meaning is transparent, undisputed and about as plain and good as meanings get.
- A documented Sicilian martyr and the best-selling novelist of all time carry it.
- Aggie and Aga are two short forms with real records.
- The Christie association is very strong.
- It reads as distinctly old-fashioned, though it is returning.
- Agatha and Agnes are close enough to be confused.
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What they receive
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Agatha
Feminine · #1703 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Agathas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 3,900 people named Agatha are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Agatha in 2025?
- Agatha ranks #1703 among US girl names in 2025, with 120 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Agatha?
- About 1 in every 13,394 US girls born in 2025 was named Agatha — 120 in all.
- Will my child share the name Agatha with classmates?
- Agatha will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Agatha
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Mar#1703 · Wynn#1703 · Leticia#1703 · Beatriz#1703 · Karma#1703 · Delanie#1703 · Aleyah#1710 · Aulani#1710
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Agatha? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Agatha and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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