Martha is a feminine given name (Latin from Ancient Greek Μάρθα (Mártha), from Aramaic מרתא (Mārtā) "the mistress" or "the lady", from מרה "mistress", feminine of מרי "master"). Patti, Patsy, and Patty were in use in Colonial America as English rhyming diminutives of the diminutive Mattie. Molly has been used as a diminutive of Martha since the 18th century.
Variants in different languages: Maata (Māori) Марфа (Marfa) (Russian and Belarusian), formerly spelled "Марѳа" from the Greek version of the name, that the Russians assimilate in F Márta (Hungarian) Marta, Martha (Indonesian) Marta (Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Estonian, Italian, Latvian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish) Марта (Marta) (Bulgarian, Macedonian, Ukrainian) Marthe (French, German, Dutch) Martta (Finnish) Moireach (Scottish Gaelic) Morta (Lithuanian)
People with the name Saint Martha, several people Martha daughter of Boethus, 1st century Jewish woman Martha of Armagnac (1347–1378), French youngest child of John I, Count of Armagnac Martha of Denmark (1277–1341), Swedish Queen Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (born 1971), Norwegian princess and businesswoman Princess Märtha of Sweden (1901–1954), Swedish princess Martha A. B. Conine, American politician and women's suffragist Martha A. Boughton (1857–1928), American author, educator, poet, and clubwoman Martha A. Geer, American attorney, jurist, and former judge Martha A. Sandweiss (born 1954), American historian Martha A.Q. Curley (born 1952), American nurse Martha Abelsen (born 1957), Greenlandic politician Martha Ackelsberg (born 1946), American political scientist and women's studies scholar Martha Ackmann (born 1951), American author and journalist Martha Acosta (born 1962), Peruvian politician Martha Adelaide Holton (c. 1860-c. 1947), American writer Märtha Adlerstråhle (1868–1956), Swedish tennis player Martha Adusei (born 1976), Ghanaian-Canadian sprinter Martha Albertson Fineman (born 1943), American jurist, legal theorist, and political philosopher Martha Albrand (1914–1981), German-American novelist Martha Alf (1930–2019), American artist Martha Aliaga (1937–2011), Argentine statistics educator Martha Allan (1895–1942), Canadian pioneer of theater, actress, director, patron, and writer Martha Allen Sherwood (1948– 2020) – American lichenologist Martha Alter (1904–1976), American pianist, music teacher, and composer Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Ghanaian diplomat Martha Anderson, American research scientist, hydrologist, and remote sensing professional Martha Andresen Wilder (1944–2018), American Shakespearean scholar Martha Angélica Bernardino Rojas (born 1973), Mexican politician Martha Angélica Romo Jiménez (born 1961), Mexican politician Martha Angelici (1907–1973), French operatic soprano Martha Angle Dorsett (1851–1918), American lawyer Martha Ankomah (born 1986), Ghanaian film actress and entrepreneur Martha Ann Erskine Ricks (1817–1901), Americo-Liberian colonist, slave, and quilter Martha Anne Woodrum Zillhardt (1916–2002), American aviator Martha Ann Honeywell (1786–1856), American disabled artist Martha Annie Whiteley (1866–1956), English chemist and mathematician Martha Ansara (born 1942), American-born Australian documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and screenwriter Martha Anthouli (born 2004), Greek professional volleyball player Martha Appiah (born 1965), Ghanaian sprinter Martha Araújo (born 1943), Brazilian sculptor and performance artist Martha Arendsee (1885–1953), German politician and women's rights activist Martha Argerich (born 1941), Argentine classical concert pianist Martha Ásdís Hjálmarsdóttir, Icelandic professor of biomedical science Martha Atwell (1900–1949), American radio director Martha Atwood (1886–1950), American operatic soprano and music educator Martha Austin Phelps (1870–1933), American chemist Martha B. Alexander (born 1939), American former politician Martha B. Briggs (1838–1889), American educator Martha B. Gould, American former government official Martha B. Sosman (1950–2007), American lawyer and jurist Martha Bablitch (1944–2007), American lawyer and jurist Martha Bachem (1924–2015), Austrian-German figure skater Martha Bailey, American professor of economics Martha Baillie (born 1960), Canadian poet and novelist Martha Baird Rockefeller (1895–1971), American pianist, philanthropist, and arts advocate Martha Baker (1838–1918), American Civil War nurse Martha Ballard (1735–1812), American midwife, healer, and mortician Martha Banks (born 1951), American clinical psychologist Martha Bárcena Coqui (born 1957), Mexican diplomat Martha Barnett (born 1947), American attorney Martha Barnette (born 1957), American writer, radio host, and public speaker Martha Barnhart, American civic leader Martha Bartlett, South African politician Martha Bass (1921–1998), American gospel singer Martha Batalha (born 1974), Brazilian writer and journalist Martha Bátiz (born 1971), Mexican-Canadian writer Martha Bayard Stevens (1831–1899), American philanthropist Martha Bayles (born 1948), American author, critic, and professor Martha Bayona (born 1995), Colombian track cyclist Martha Beauclerk (1709/1710-1788), British courtier Martha Beck (born 1962), American author, life coach, speaker, and sociologist Martha Beck (serial killer) (1920–1951), American nurse executed for murder Martha Beers, American traditional folk music singer Martha Benjamin (born 1935), Canadian Indigenous cross country skier Martha Bensley Bruère (1879–1953), American writer, painter, and reformer Martha Berenice Álvarez Tovar (born 1975), Mexican politician Martha Berkeley (1813–1899), Australian artist Martha Bernal, several people Martha Bernays (1861–1951), German-born Austrian wife of Sigmund Freud Martha Berry (1865–1942), American educator Martha Berry (artist), American Cherokee beadwork artist Martha Betz Shapley (1890–1981), American astronomer Martha Bielish (1915–2010), Canadian politician, farmer, feminist, and teacher Martha Biilmann (1921–2008), Greenlandic furrier and educator Martha Biondi, American historian and professor Martha Bissah (born 1997), Ghanaian athlete Martha Bissmann (born 1980), Austrian politician Martha Black (1866–1957), Canadian politician Martha Black (art historian) (born 1945), Canadian art historian Martha Blackford (1775–1846), pen name of Isabella Moncrieff, Scottish writer Martha Blackman (1927–2021), American musician and educator Martha Bloom, American artist and academic Martha Blount (1690–1762), English woman who befriended many English literary figures Martha Blue (born c. 1942), American lawyer and author Martha Blum (1913–2007), Austro-Hungarian Empire-born Canadian writer Martha Boaz (1911–1995), American librarian Martha Bodunrin (born 1952), Nigerian politician Martha Boesing (born 1936), American theater director and playwright Martha Bolaños de Prado (1897–1963), Guatemalan actress, musician, composer, and educator Martha Boneta, American policy advisor, commentator, and farmer Martha Boswell (1905–1958), American jazz singer, pianist, and member of the vocal group The Boswell Sisters Martha Boto (1925–2004), Argentine artist Martha Bowen (born 1980), American retired swimmer Martha Braddell, English contestant on Britain's Next Top Model (series 4) Martha Bradley, 18th century English food writer and chef Martha Bratton (c. 1749/1750-1816), American patriot during the Revolutionary War Martha Brill Olcott (born 1949), American scholar on Central Asian studies Martha Broadus Anderson (1875–1967), American singer, musician, music educator, and choral director Martha Brockenbrough, American author Martha Brookes Hutcheson (1871–1959), American landscape architect, lecturer, and author Martha Brooks (born 1944), Canadian writer of plays, novels, and short fiction Martha Brossier (1556-after 1600), French woman known for claiming demonic possession Martha Brown, several people Martha Bruce, Countess of Elgin and Kincardine (1739–1810), Scottish countess, governess, and educator Martha-Bryan Allen (1903–1985), American stage actress Märtha Brydolf (1868–1956), Swedish politician and journalist Martha Bucaram (1941–1981), Ecuadorian lawyer, feminist, and First Lady of Ecuador Martha Bulloch Roosevelt (1835–1884), American socialite Martha Bullock (1849–1939), American pioneer Martha Bunting (1861–1944), American biologist and teacher Martha Burk (born 1941), American political psychologist and feminist Martha Burkhardt (1874–1956), Swiss painter and photographer Martha Burns (born 1957), Canadian actress Martha Burton (1913–2007), American pioneer in bowling Martha Burton Williamson (1843–1922), American malacologist and journalist Martha Byrne (born 1969), American actress, singer, and television writer Martha C. Howell, American historian and emerita professor Martha C. Ruth, Guamanian politician Martha Cahoon (1905–1999), American artist Martha Callanan (1826–1901), American women's suffrage advocate, newspaper publisher, and philanthropist Martha Callison Horst (born 1967), American composer Martha Canga Antonio (born 1995), Belgian/Angolan actress and singer Martha Carrier (Salem witch trials) (1650–1692), American Puritan executed for witchcraft Martha Carrillo (born 1963), Mexican journalist and writer Martha Carson (1921–2004), American gospel-country music singer Martha Cartmell (1845–1945), Canadian Methodist/United Church missionary and educator in Japan Martha Cassell Thompson (1925–1968), American architect Martha Cecilia (1953–2014), Filipino writer of Tagalog romance pocketbook novels Martha Cecilia Díaz Gordillo (born 1967), Mexican politician Martha Cecilia Ruiz (born 1972), Nicaraguan poet, writer, journalist, and social activist Martha Chanjo Lunji (?-2021), Malawian politician Martha Chase (1927–2003), American geneticist Martha Chaves, Nicaraguan-Canadian comedian, actress, activist, and playwright Martha Chávez (born 1953), Peruvian politician and lawyer Martha Cheavens (1899–1975), American novelist, short-story writer, and poet Martha Chen (born 1944), American academic, scholar, and social worker Martha Cheney (born 1953), American author and lyricist Martha Cheung (1953–2013), Hong Kong researcher and scholar of translation studies Martha Chickering (1886–1988), American social work educator Martha Chikuni (1974–2021), Malawian journalist, television personality, and diplomat Martha Chizuma, Malawian lawyer Martha Choe (born 1954), American banker, politician, and foundation executive Martha Chol Luak, South Sudanese politician Martha Christensen (1932–2017), American mycologist, botanist, and educator Martha Christensen (Danish writer) (1928–1996), Danish writer and educator Martha Christie (born 1979), Australian model and violist Martha Christina Tiahahu (1800–1818), Moluccan freedom fighter and Indonesian heroine Martha Clare Morris (1955–2020), American nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clark, several people Martha Clarke (born 1944), American theater director and choreographer Martha Clayton (1915–1961), American who posthumously posted her husband's writings Martha Clokie, English professor of microbiology Martha Coakley (born 1953), American lobbyist, lawyer, and former politician Martha Codman Karolik (1858–1948), American philanthropist and art collector Martha Cohen (1920–2015), Canadian community activist and philanthropist Martha Colburn (born 1972), American filmmaker and artist Martha Coldwell (born 2010), Mexican rhythmic gymnast Martha Cole (born 1946), Canadian artist Martha Collins, several people Martha Collison (born 1996), British baker and food columnist Martha Combe (1806–1893), British art collector Martha Concepción Figueroa (born 1952), Honduran teacher and politician