Hertha Marks (later Ayrton) was born in Portsea, near Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
Born on April 28, 1854, Hertha Marks Ayrton entered the world in Portsea, near Portsmouth. Her early life was characterized by a rich cultural background and a family supportive of intellectual pursuits. Her birth is significant as she would go on to become a leading figure in the field of electrical engineering, navigating and dismantling gender barriers of the 19th and 20th centuries.