Girl · #5,953 in 2026

Rethel

Name: Popularity of the name Rethel in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Rethel, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Rethel is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture and third-most important city and economic center in the department. It is situated on the river Aisne, near the northern border of Champagne and 37 km from Reims.

Current Rank

#5,953

Peak Rank

#3,340 (1920)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1917

First Year

1956

Last Year

1920

Peak Year

#3340

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rethel

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

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

Origin & history

[</span>icon<span typeof=\"mw:Entity\" id=\"mwNw\">]</span>","txt":"[icon]"}]]}'> This section needs expansion . You can help by adding missing information . ( July 2016 ) According to legend, the city was founded by Julius Caesar , who established a camp on the site of the city during his campaigns. The parents of St. Arnulf of Metz were said to have given all they owned in villa Reistete (in the city of Rethel) to St. Remigius, bishop of Reims , so that their prayers for a child would be answered. The city belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Remi and was administered by its advocati . One of them

The Story of Rethel

Rethel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 9 Rethels were born — ranking #3,340 that year. As of 2026, Rethel ranks #5,953 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 88 Rethels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Rethel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rethel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Wrestle
Remmel
Resol
Russell
Rustle
Ruffle
Russel
Riffle
Riffel
Ruckle
Rimmel
Rummel

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rethel

What does the name Rethel mean?

How popular is Rethel in 2026?

In 2026, Rethel ranks #5,953 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Rethel most popular?

Rethel reached its peak popularity in 1920, ranking #3,340 that year with 9 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rethel most popular?

Rethel has historically been most popular in Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rethel.

Is Rethel a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Rethel is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Rethel?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rethel include Parilee, Metha, Berda. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Rethel

Rethel is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 88 births in the dataset. Rethel's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #3,340. Use the chart and map above to compare Rethel'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.