Marta

Martha, as with many "th"-sound names, was originally pronounced with a hard "t." Just remove the "h," and the first pronunciation endures. 

Marta is the form used in several European nations, including Bosnia, Czechia, Sweden, Italy, and Spain. She has enough international flair to prevent her from tying to one culture. Well, if you think of Marta Von Trapp from The Sound of Music, the name gets an Austrian vibe. 

Some of the most famous real-life Martas, though, are not Austrian (the real-life Von Trapp children's names were changed for the musical). Broadway actor Marta Abba hailed from Italy and Hollywood movie star Marta Eggerth from Hungary. 

Even America has given us a few famous associations. First, Arthur Tracy released his song "Marta, Rambling Rose of the Wildwood" in 1931. The name entered the top 1000 the next year. In the middle of her fifty-four-year run came Marta Kauffman, who later created the TV series Friends. 

Marta only reached as high as the 300s in the United States, far from popular enough to date. She is not only a familiar rarity, but she serves as an excellent alternative to popular Clara and Margot. 


POPULARITY LEVEL: Rare (below top 1000)


FAMOUS REAL-LIFE NAMESAKES:

  • Italian Broadway actor Marta Abba (1900-1988)
  • Hungarian-American Hollywood actor Marta Eggerth (1912-2013)
  • American television producer Marta Kauffman (1956-)
FAMOUS FICTIONAL NAMESAKES:
  • Arthur Tracy's 1931 song "Marta, Rambling Rose of the Wildwood"
  • Second-youngest child Marta Von Trapp in stage and film musical The Sound of Music

VARIANTS: Marte, Martha, Marthe


SISTERS: Anya, Elif, Frida, Hedy, Ilsa, Katrin, Mitzi, Noor, Rivka, Sigrid

BROTHERS: Anton, Bram, Emil, Franz, Igor, Konrad, Linus, Oskar, Vito, Willem


ALTERNATIVES: Asta, Britta, Gretel, Lotta, Malin, Marit, Marlo, Meta, Petra, Tilda


FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Marta." Names, Behind the Name, 6 Oct. 2024, https://www.behindthename.com/name/marta. 

Sandel, Abby. "Marta: Baby Name of the Day." Master List: Girl Names, Appellation Mountain, 16 Jan. 2014, https://appellationmountain.net/marta-baby-name-day/. 


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