December 27

National Martha Day

A name day on December 27 honoring individuals named Martha and the name's roots in hospitality, leadership, and artistic innovation.

Yearly Date

December 27

Observed in

United States

Introduction

National Martha Day honors a name whose bearers defined what it meant to be first: the first woman to hold the role of presidential spouse, the first dancer to receive the nation's highest civilian award, and a biblical figure whose hospitality made her the patron saint of an entire profession. From the New Testament through the American founding to the stages of twentieth-century New York, Marthas have consistently held positions of authority and creative leadership.

The name peaked during the Victorian era and has since receded from the top of baby-name charts, but an estimated 615,000 Americans still carry it. That generational weight gives Martha a historical density that few names match, linking figures separated by centuries through a single word.

National Martha Day History

The name Martha originates from the Aramaic word "marta," meaning "the lady" or "the mistress." It is the feminine form of "mar," the Aramaic word for master, and carried connotations of household authority and dignity from its earliest use.

The name's most influential early bearer is the biblical Martha of Bethany, sister of Lazarus and Mary. In the Gospel of Luke, Martha hosts Jesus in her home, and her practical, service-oriented nature made her the patron saint of cooks, housekeepers, and waitresses in Catholic tradition, with a feast day observed on July 29.

From Scripture to the New World

Like many biblical names, Martha was uncommon in England until the Protestant Reformation renewed interest in Old Testament and New Testament given names. By the colonial period, it had become a standard choice in English-speaking families. Its most prominent colonial bearer, Martha Dandridge, married Daniel Parke Custis in 1749 and inherited 17,500 acres and a large estate upon his death.

Her 1759 marriage to George Washington brought her to Mount Vernon and, eventually, to the new nation's capital. As the first presidential spouse, Martha Washington defined the social role of what would later be called First Lady, hosting receptions and joining her husband at wartime encampments during the Revolution.

The Mother of Modern Dance

In 1926, Martha Graham founded her dance company in New York City and began developing her signature "contraction and release" technique, a vocabulary of movement built around the body's breathing cycle. Over seven decades, she created 181 ballets and trained a generation of choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp.

President Gerald Ford called Graham a "national treasure" and in 1976 awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. TIME magazine later named her "Dancer of the Century."

A Name Across the Map and Calendar

Martha peaked at #14 on the SSA's baby name rankings in 1882 and held a place in the top 100 through the mid-twentieth century before gradually declining. No documented founder or formal establishment record has been identified for National Martha Day, but the observance circulates in online holiday listings honoring the name and its bearers.

National Martha Day Timeline

1602

Gosnold names Martha's Vineyard

English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold named the Massachusetts island after a family member named Martha, creating one of the few U.S. place names that retains a possessive apostrophe.

1759

Martha Dandridge marries Washington

Martha Dandridge Custis, one of the wealthiest widows in Virginia after inheriting 17,500 acres, married George Washington and moved to Mount Vernon, beginning a partnership that would shape the American presidency.

1882

Martha peaks at #14 in the U.S.

The Social Security Administration's historical data records Martha as the 14th most popular girls' name in the United States, its highest documented ranking.

1926

Graham founds her dance company

Martha Graham established her own company and school in New York City, launching what became the oldest professional dance troupe in the United States and the oldest contemporary dance company in the world.

1944

Appalachian Spring premieres

Martha Graham debuted Appalachian Spring with a score by Aaron Copland and sets by Isamu Noguchi, producing one of the most celebrated collaborations in American performing arts history.

1976

Graham receives Medal of Freedom

President Gerald Ford awarded Martha Graham the Presidential Medal of Freedom, making her the first dancer and choreographer to receive the nation's highest civilian honor.

How to Celebrate National Martha Day

1

Watch a Martha Graham performance

Stream archival footage of Graham's most celebrated works at the Martha Graham Dance Company website, which hosts videos, photographs, and educational materials spanning nine decades of modern dance. Her 1944 Appalachian Spring remains one of the most performed works in the American repertoire.
2

Visit Mount Vernon online or in person

Explore the estate where Martha Washington managed one of Virginia's largest plantations at George Washington's Mount Vernon. The site's digital collections include letters, inventories, and biographical resources that document her role before, during, and after the presidency.
3

Cook a recipe from Martha Washington's era

Try a dish from colonial Virginia using recipes adapted from eighteenth-century cookbooks. The Mount Vernon recipe collection includes historically inspired dishes that reflect the foods Martha Washington would have served at the estate.
4

Research the Marthas in your family tree

Use the day to search genealogy databases for ancestors and relatives named Martha, Marta, or Marthe. Tracking how the name moved through your family can reveal generational naming patterns linked to the Victorian-era peak and its gradual decline.
5

Look up your name's historical ranking

Visit the Social Security Administration's baby name tool to see how Martha's trajectory from #14 in 1882 to its current position compares to other Victorian-era names. The database tracks popularity data back to 1880.

Why We Love National Martha Day

A

It shaped the American presidency's social role

Martha Washington established the precedents for presidential entertaining and public appearances that every subsequent First Lady has followed. Her decision to join George Washington at wartime encampments set an early standard for the spouse's visibility in national life.
B

It revolutionized an entire art form

Martha Graham's contraction-and-release technique became as foundational to modern dance as classical positions are to ballet. Her company, still active today, remains the oldest professional dance troupe in the United States.
C

It anchors American geography and culture

Martha's Vineyard, named in 1602, is one of the most recognized place names in the United States and one of the few retaining a possessive apostrophe. The name appears permanently on maps, in parish records, and across institutions spanning four centuries.