Martha
MAR-tha
A classic biblical name linked in tradition to a “lady” or “mistress.”
Meaning
The 19th-century sources here connect Martha with a Syriac feminine form meaning “lady,” “mistress,” or possibly “who teaches.” Another traditional explanation in the excerpts links it to a root meaning “bitter,” but the cited authority says the “lady/mistress” sense is the better one. The name is also treated as a Greek form in the transmission of the biblical name.
Origin
SyriacGreekfeminine
Fun fact
In medieval legend, Martha was said to have fought a dragon in Provence.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.