Ethel
Girl name · #4172 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Ethel? In official American birth records, Ethel has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Ethel ranks #4172 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 34 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #8931, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 52,941 girls born in 2025 was named Ethel.
The 145-year story
Ethel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 633 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 8,075 girls were named Ethel — good for #28 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Ethel per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ethel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ethel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ethel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ethel will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ethel is most common
State-level data for Ethel is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Ethel
Statistically, parents drawn to Ethel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Muriel, Verna, Edna, Wilma, and Thelma.
MurielVernaEdnaWilmaThelmaBerthaElvaEnid
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ethel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #4172 |
| 2024 | 27 | #4893 |
| 2023 | 23 | #5390 |
| 2022 | 28 | #4793 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4833 |
| 2020 | 26 | #4880 |
| 2019 | 23 | #5449 |
| 2018 | 32 | #4357 |
| 2017 | 28 | #4811 |
| 2016 | 25 | #5284 |
| 2015 | 12 | #8931 |
| 2014 | 21 | #5993 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8135 |
| 2012 | 15 | #7804 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8196 |
| 2010 | 14 | #8271 |
| 2009 | 15 | #8058 |
| 2008 | 13 | #8965 |
| 2007 | 17 | #7394 |
| 2006 | 13 | #8715 |
| 2005 | 20 | #5999 |
| 2004 | 23 | #5377 |
| 2003 | 24 | #5092 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4280 |
| 2001 | 19 | #5822 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Ethel?
In official American birth records, the name Ethel first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 633 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Ethel a popular girl name?
Ethel ranked #4172 among girls in 2025 with 34 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #8931.
When was the name Ethel most popular?
Ethel peaked in 1918, when 8,075 American girls received the name (ranked #28 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ethel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 52,941 newborn American girls was named Ethel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.