When Martha Jonsdatter was christened on 13 April 1738, in Røyken, Buskerud, Norway, her father, Joen Iverson, was 30 and her mother, Anne Andersdatter, was 31.
Do you know Martha? Do you have a story about her that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
New Testament name, of Aramaic rather than Hebrew origin, meaning ‘lady’. It was borne by the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany (John 11:1). According to Luke 10:38, when Jesus visited the house of Mary and Martha, Mary sat at his feet, listening to him, while Martha ‘was cumbered about much serving’, so that she complained to Jesus, ‘Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?’ For this reason, the name Martha has always been associated with hard domestic work, as opposed to the contemplative life.
Dictionary of First Names © Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges 1990, 2003, 2006.
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.