Alethea is an English-language female first name derived from the Ancient Greek feminine noun ἀλήθεια, alḗtheia, 'truth'. Aletheia was the personification of truth in Greek philosophy. Alethea was not in use as a name prior to the 1500s, and likely originated when Puritans started using it as a virtue name.[1][2][3]
 Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel, 17th century portrait by Peter Paul Rubens | |
| Pronunciation | [alɛ̌ːtʰeː.a] (Greek pronunciation: [aˈliθça]) ə-LEE-thee-ə, AL-ə-THEE-ə or ə-LAY-thee-ə |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Language(s) | Greek |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | truth |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Alethia, Aletheia, Thea, Theia, Tia, Thia, Verity |
Usage
editThe examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2023) |
It was among the top 1,000 names used for newborn girls in the United States in 1973 and 1974, which was the height of its popularity.[4][better source needed] Increase in usage of the name coincided with a March 1973 guest appearance by 10-year-old child actress Jodie Foster in an episode of the television series Kung Fu. Foster portrayed a young girl named Alethea who mistakenly believed she witnessed her new friend, Kwai Chang Caine, commit a murder, made an accusation, and then recanted and told what she believed to be a lie to save him from execution. The character's name was symbolic as her full name means truth while her nickname, Lethe, means the opposite: forgetfulness.[5][better source needed][6]
There were 66 American girls named Alethea in 1972, the year before the episode aired, and 322 American girls named Alethea in 1973, the year it aired and the year the name was most used in the United States. Variant spellings Alethia and Aletheia also increased in use in the United States for newborn girls between 1972 and 1973. There were 27 American girls called Alethia in 1972 and 74 girls named Alethia in 1973. Fewer than five American girls were named Aletheia in 1972 and five girls were called Aletheia in 1973. The name declined in usage between 1973 and 1974, with 201 girls named Alethea, 46 girls named Alethia, and seven girls named Aletheia. The name has not been among the 1,000 most popular names for American girls since 1974. However, the name remains in steady, occasional use in the United States. There were 71 American newborn girls given the name Alethea in 2022, 47 girls called Aletheia, and 15 girls named Alethia.[5][better source needed][7]
As of 2023, 9 women in Sweden had the name.[8]
People named Alethea
edit- Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (born 1978), Inuk Canadian filmmaker
- Alethea Boon (born 1984), New Zealand athlete
- Alethea Charlton (1931–1976), British actress
- Alethea Garstin (1894–1978), English painter and Royal Academician
- Alethea Hayter OBE (1911–2006), English author and British Council Representative
- Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel (1585–1654), née Talbot, wife of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel
- Alethea Jones, Australian film and television director
- Alethea Kontis (born 1976), American author and editor living in Titusville, Florida
- Alethea Lewis (1749–1827), English novelist, born at Acton, near Nantwich, Cheshire
- Alethea Hill Platt (1860–1932), American artist and educator
- Alethea "Thea" Proctor (1879–1966), Australian painter, printmaker, designer, and teacher
- Alethea McGrath (1920–2016), Australian actress
- Alethea Sedgman (born 1994), Australian sport shooter
People named Aletheia
edit- Aletheia McCaskill (born 1971), American politician and union activist
Fictional characters
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
- ^ Withycombe, E.G. (1971). The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names. p. 12.
- ^ Yonge, Ch M. (1863). History of Christian names. London : Parker. pp. 276–277.
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Popularity in the United States". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ a b Man, Nancy (23 December 2015). "What Gave The Baby Name Alethea a Boost in 1973?". nancy.cc. Nancy's Baby Names. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ a b Naas, Michael (2010). "Snapshot". Oxford Literary Review. 32 (2): v–vii. ISSN 0305-1498. JSTOR 44030776.
- ^ "Baby Names". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Search on a name: how many people are called...?". Statistiska Centralbyrån. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
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