Girl · #3,954 in 2026

Ethylene

Ethylene is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C2H4 or H2C=CH2. It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene.

Current Rank
#3,954
Peak Rank
#3,561 (1927)
Total Babies
62
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1918
First Year
1941
Last Year
1927
Peak Year
#3561
Peak Rank
62
Total Count
11
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ethylene

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Ethylene is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C2H4 or H2C=CH2. It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Some geologists and scholars think that the famous Greek Oracle of Delphi (the Pythia ) went into her trance-like state as an effect of ethylene rising from ground faults. Ethylene appears to have been discovered by Johann Joachim Becher , who obtained it by heating ethanol with sulfuric acid; he mentioned the gas in his Physica Subterranea (1669). Joseph Priestley also mentions the gas in his Experiments and observations relating to the various branches of natural philosophy: with a continuation of the observations on air (1779), where he reports that Jan Ingenhousz saw ethylene synthesized i

The Story of Ethylene

Ethylene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1918, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 8 Ethylenes were born — ranking #3,561 that year. As of 2026, Ethylene ranks #3,954 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 62 Ethylenes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Ethylene

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ethylene 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 Ethylene

What does the name Ethylene mean?
Ethylene is a hydrocarbon which has the formula C2H4 or H2C=CH2. It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene.
How popular is Ethylene in 2026?
In 2026, Ethylene ranks #3,954 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Ethylene most popular?
Ethylene reached its peak popularity in 1927, ranking #3,561 that year with 8 babies given the name.
Is Ethylene a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ethylene is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Ethylene?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ethylene include Texana, Willella, Elver. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Texana
Peak #3561
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Willella
Peak #3561
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Elver
Peak #3561
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Ellean
Peak #3561
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Dymple
Peak #3561
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Delone
Peak #3561
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Guyneth
Peak #3561
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Hillis
Peak #3561

About the name Ethylene

Ethylene is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 62 births in the dataset. Ethylene's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #3,561. Use the chart and map above to compare Ethylene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.