Ethel
Girl nameEthel has been given to 280,412 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1918.
Meaning & origin /ˈɛθɪl/
Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”). First used in the 19th century. Cognate to the Germanic Adela and Adele.
Origin: Old English
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
280,412
Peak year
1918 (8,110 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +183%
Gender split
99% girls / 1% boys
Famous people named Ethel
Ethel Barrymore
American actress (1879–1959)
Ethel Merman
American actress and singer (1908-1984)
Ethel Lilian Voynich
British writer and musician (1864–1960)
Ethel Smyth
English composer and suffragette (1858–1944)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Ethel.
Get new name insights first
Occasional updates when we add new data & tools. No spam, unsubscribe anytime by replying to any email or writing to hello@zalize.com.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We store only your email address and the date you signed up.