Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Ethel

Meaning noble Gender Girl · 1% boys Rank 2025 #4,211 Trend → Stable

Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”).

Rank 2025
#4,211
among girls · ↑726 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
34
named Ethel · +26% vs 2024
How common
1 in 47,273
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
8,110 babies
All-time total
280,412
#141 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ethel popularity over time

280,412 babies have been named Ethel since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
510152018801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 14,866 73 14,939 1,494 – #8
1890s 31,453 140 31,593 3,159 +111% #6
1900s 34,868 181 35,049 3,505 +11% #8
1910s 63,662 287 63,949 6,395 +82% #13
1920s 62,806 338 63,144 6,314 -1% #30
1930s 31,582 279 31,861 3,186 -50% #65
1940s 20,582 106 20,688 2,069 -35% #106
1950s 11,544 56 11,600 1,160 -44% #176
1960s 4,691 30 4,721 472 -59% #359
1970s 1,499 – 1,499 150 -68% #689
1980s 547 – 547 55 -64% #1,463
1990s 272 – 272 27 -50% #2,578
2000s 187 – 187 19 -31% #4,311
2010s 198 – 198 20 +6% #4,387
2020s (to 2025) 165 – 165 28 +39% #4,211

Where Ethel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 35 0.02 outside top 500
2027 35 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 36 0.02 outside top 500
2030 36 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Ethel

Ethel is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,211 in 2025 with 34 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 280,412 American babies have been named Ethel. Its peak came in 1918, when 8,110 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ethel stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ethel?

The median living Ethel is about 78 years old; half are between 69 and 86. An estimated 40 thousand people named Ethel are alive in the United States today.

median 78 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ethel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 34 #4,211 – –
2024 27 #4,937 – –
2023 23 #5,440 – –
2022 28 #4,835 – –
2021 27 #4,880 – –
2020 26 #4,933 – –
2019 23 #5,490 – –
2018 32 #4,387 – –
2017 28 #4,851 – –
2016 25 #5,337 – –
2015 12 #9,129 – –
2014 21 #6,059 – –
2013 14 #8,273 – –
2012 15 #7,954 – –
2011 14 #8,333 – –
2010 14 #8,397 – –
2009 15 #8,181 – –
2008 13 #9,136 – –
2007 17 #7,496 – –
2006 13 #8,885 – –
2005 20 #6,086 – –
2004 23 #5,429 – –
2003 24 #5,138 – –
2002 29 #4,311 – –
2001 19 #5,893 – –
2000 14 #7,285 – –
1995 25 #4,134 – –
1990 46 #2,578 – –
1985 54 #2,002 – –
1980 74 #1,575 – –
1975 149 #889 – –
1970 228 #689 – –
1965 440 #457 5 #4,077
1960 731 #359 – –
1955 1,103 #247 9 #2,835
1950 1,602 #176 9 #2,637
1945 1,817 #134 10 #2,298
1940 2,373 #106 12 #2,113
1935 3,003 #82 27 #1,303
1930 4,101 #65 37 #1,159
1925 6,176 #43 33 #1,262
1920 7,868 #30 23 #1,611
1915 7,379 #23 30 #1,191
1910 4,146 #13 33 #484
1905 3,401 #12 14 #645
1900 3,896 #8 20 #539
1895 3,391 #8 15 #534
1890 2,718 #7 8 #769
1885 1,495 #15 13 #526
1880 633 #38 6 #853

Famous people named Ethel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ethel Kennedy Ethel Kennedy American human rights advocate (1928–2024) Contemporary
  2. 2 Ethel Merman Ethel Merman American actress and singer (1908–1984) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore American actress (1879–1959) 19th century
  4. 4 Ethel Waters Ethel Waters American vocalist and actress (1896–1977) 19th century
  5. 5 Ethel Smyth Ethel Smyth English composer and suffragette (1858–1944) 19th century
  6. 6 Ethel Voynich Ethel Voynich Irish writer and musician (1864–1960) 19th century
  7. 7 Ethel Catherwood Ethel Catherwood Canadian track and field athlete (1908–1987) Contemporary
  8. 8 Ethel Lackie Ethel Lackie American swimmer (1907–1979) Contemporary
  9. 9 Ethel Thomson Larcombe Ethel Thomson Larcombe British badminton and tennis player 1879–1965 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ethel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ethel?

The median living Ethel is about 78 years old. Half of all living Ethels are between 69 and 86 years old.

How many people named Ethel are alive today?

An estimated 40 thousand people named Ethel are alive in the United States, based on 280,412 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ethel mean?

Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”).

How popular is the name Ethel in 2025?

Ethel ranked #4,211 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ethel?

280,412 babies have been named Ethel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ethel most popular?

Ethel peaked in 1918, when 8,110 newborns received the name.

Is Ethel a boy or girl name?

Ethel is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ethel rising or falling?

Ethel is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ethel become more popular?

Ethel looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 36 girls named Ethel in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ethel?

Well-known people named Ethel include Ethel Kennedy (celebrity), Ethel Merman (actor), Ethel Barrymore (actor).

Names like Ethel

Names that sound and feel close to Ethel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ethel with similar names → More names starting with E →