—2024 rank
1918peak year
278,865babies named Ethel since 1880
▲ +17%5-year trend
Ethel popularity over 145 years
🌱 Below the charts · roughly undefined% girls / NaN% boys in 2024
What does Ethel mean?
From Old English aethel, 'noble', extracted as a short form of names like Etheldreda and Ethelbert. A top name around 1900, now prime for revival.
OriginOld English
Syllables2
Gendergirl
Stylevintage, classic
Names like Ethel
Same era, same vibe — if you like Ethel, these usually land on the shortlist too.
Famous Ethels
- Ethel Merman, singer
- Ethel Barrymore, actress
Spellings & variants
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