bertha

Bertha is a feminine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the element berht meaning bright or famous. The name was common in German-speaking and English-speaking regions, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and remains in occasional use today. Variants include Berta and Berthe, with diminutive forms used in informal contexts.

Notable people with the name include Bertha von Suttner, an Austrian pacifist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Bertha Knight Landes, an American politician who became the first female mayor of a major U.S. city (Seattle); and Bertha Lutz, a Brazilian scientist and feminist who contributed to science and women's rights in Brazil. In literature, Bertha Mason is a character in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, where she is the backdrop for the protagonist’s darker themes.

Other uses of the name appear in technology and media. Bertha is the nickname of the large tunnel boring machine used on Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project, which drew wide public attention during its operation. The name also appears as a character name in various works of fiction and media.

In summary, Bertha is a historically common given name of Germanic origin, connected to several notable real and fictional figures, and even used for a notable engineering machine.