NameData
Name file · Girl · SSA 1880–2024
Ethel
Ethel is a girl's name.
▲ Risingthe Greatest Generation
278,890
Total named
79
Avg ageestimated
1918
Peak year
#4,873
Rank in 2024
Ethel peaked in 1918, when about 8,075 girls were given the name. Today it has nearly vanished from the charts, sitting at 4,873rd — down about 100% from its peak. Most people named Ethel today are around 79 years old (estimated) — squarely the Greatest Generation. In all, roughly 278,890 girls have been named Ethel since record-keeping began in 1880.

📈 Popularity over time

How many girls were named Ethel each year, 1880–2024.
Peak: 19188,075 girls18801900192019401960198020002020

♀ ♂ A shared name

Ethel is given to both girls and boys. Among everyone with this name:
99% girls
1% boys

↔ Names from the same era

Other girls' names that peaked around the same time as Ethel:
EvaMarjorieEdnaEdithHazelEsther
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (public domain), 1880–2024. Average age is estimated from a survival curve, not actuarial tables.
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How we read a name

Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration's public-domain record of names given to babies born in the United States from 1880 to 2024. The SSA only counts a name in a year if at least five babies received it.

Popularity & rank

The trajectory shows how many girls were named Ethel each year. The peak year is simply the year that count was highest, and the rank is where the name sat among all girls' names in 2024.

Estimated average age

We estimate the typical age of living people with this name by combining how many were born each year with a rough survival curve. It's a useful approximation for "how old does this name feel," not a precise actuarial figure — that's why we always label it estimated.

For general informational and entertainment purposes only. Counts reflect U.S. SSA card applications and may differ from total births. Figures are rounded.