67%RatingSave Gender Feminine Usage English Pronounced Pron. ə-REE-thə [key·IPA] Meaning & History Possibly derived from Greek ἀρετή (arete) meaning "virtue". This name was popularized in the 1960s by American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-). PopularityDetails Last ranked #854 in 1974 United States Categories black history, Cat Power songs, currently out of the US top 1000, gospel musicians, history, pop music, pop singers, R'n'B singers, virtues, women's history