How Many People Are Named Althea?
An estimated 8,947 people in the United States have the first name Althea. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 48 years old, and Althea peaked in popularity in 1956 with 389 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Althea as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Althea paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
8,947
About 1 in 38,309 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
100.0% confidence
Average Age
48
years old
Peak Year
1956
389 births
Total Registered
17,812
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Althea
Althea is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 17,812 total births registered, 100.0% were female.
Althea as a male name
Ranked #4,366 in 1924
5 male births in 1924
Peak: 1924 (5 births)
Althea as a female name
Ranked #1,396 in 2024
160 female births in 2024
Peak: 1956 (389 births)
Althea in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 10,948 people with the first name Althea, which placed it at #2,327 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Althea was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 10,948 people with this name in that snapshot, 0.3% were male and 99.7% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 100.0% of the time.
Census Count
10,948
people with this name
Census Rank
#2,327
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
3.62
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Althea was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (47.80%). The next largest recorded groups were White (38.88%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (5.36%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Althea in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Althea.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 47.80% | 5,234 |
| White | 38.88% | 4,257 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 5.36% | 587 |
| Two or More Races | 4.06% | 445 |
| Hispanic | 2.72% | 298 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.17% | 128 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Althea: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Althea span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 3,015 babies were registered. Althea has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Althea by Decade
How has Althea tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Althea by State
Birth registrations for Althea span all 43 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana. The lowest are in West Virginia, Vermont, Utah. On average, about 258 Altheas were registered per state.
Althea + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Althea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Althea
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
Althea: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Althea?
We estimate approximately 8,947 people named Althea are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 38,309 Americans share this first name.
Is Althea a common name?
Althea is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 17,812 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Althea most popular?
Althea reached peak popularity in 1956, when 389 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Althea is approximately 48 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Althea in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 10,948 people with the first name Althea. That placed it at #2,327 in the published Census first-name tables, or 3.62 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Althea was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Althea?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Althea was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 0.3% male and 99.7% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Althea?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Althea was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (47.80%). The next largest recorded groups were White (38.88%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (5.36%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Althea a female name?
Althea is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Althea have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Althea peaked in 1956, and the average living bearer is about 48 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Althea Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Althea Smith, Althea Johnson, Althea Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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