Ethel
Ethel is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name.
Meaning & Origin of Ethel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ethel is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ethel
Ethel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 633 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 8,075 Ethels were born — ranking #28 that year. As of 2026, Ethel ranks #5,008 for baby girls with 26 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 279K Ethels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ethel
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ethel Afamado (born 1940), Uruguayan composer, poet, guitarist, and singer-songwriter
- Ethel D. Allen (1929–1981), the first African-American woman to serve on Philadelphia City Council
- Ethel Anderson (1883–1958), Australian poet, essayist, novelist and painter
- Ethel Percy Andrus (1884–1967), educator and founder of AARP
- Ethel Armes (1876–1945), American journalist and historian
- Ethel Armitage (1873–1957), British archer and 1908 Olympic competitor
- Ethel Arnold (1865–1930), English journalist and suffrage lecturer
- Ethel Ayler (1934–2018), American stage and film actress
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ethel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ethel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ethel
What does the name Ethel mean?
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In which U.S. states is Ethel most popular?
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About the name Ethel
Ethel is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 279K births in the dataset. Ethel's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #6. Use the chart and map above to compare Ethel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.