Ethel
Girl · ETH-ul · Old English
Vintage revival
Ethel is a girls' name of Old English origin, meaning “noble”. In 2025 it ranked 1,280th for girls in the UK (26 babies) and 4,171st for girls in the US (34 babies).
What does Ethel mean?
Old English: from Old English æthel
“noble”
Originally a short form of Old English names such as Æthelthryth (Etheldreda), revived in the 19th century.
- Say it
- ETH-ul
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ethel a girl's or a boy's name?
Ethel is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 26 girls in the UK and 34 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ethel in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,280among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 26about 1 in 11,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 30% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 26 girls in the UK were named Ethel, making it the 1,280th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,780th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 36 girls.
Half of all the girls named Ethel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2015 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,229th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#13), 1914 (#19), 1924 (#38) and 1934 (#91).
Ethel in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #1,280 |
| 2024 | 36 | #1,020 |
| 2023 | 29 | #1,209 |
| 2022 | 24 | #1,406 |
| 2021 | 28 | #1,264 |
| 2020 | 17 | #1,780 |
| 2019 | 22 | #1,485 |
| 2018 | 31 | #1,180 |
| 2017 | 31 | #1,186 |
| 2016 | 16 | #1,941 |
| 2015 | 23 | #1,474 |
| 2014 | 6 | #3,702 |
| 2013 | 10 | #2,599 |
| 2012 | 8 | #3,148 |
| 2011 | 8 | #3,041 |
| 2010 | 3 | #5,938 |
| 2009 | 4 | #4,795 |
| 2008 | 3 | #5,772 |
| 2007 | 3 | #5,415 |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,724 |
| 2005 | 5 | #3,543 |
| 2004 | 4 | #3,916 |
| 2003 | 3 | #4,560 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 4 | #3,399 |
How popular is Ethel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,171among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 34about 1 in 47,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 4% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 34 girls in the US were named Ethel, making it the 4,171st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,878th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 8,075 girls.
2025 had more girls named Ethel than any year since 1991.
Half of all the girls named Ethel in the US since 1880 were born between 1906 and 1930, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ethel in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #4,171 |
| 2024 | 27 | #4,890 |
| 2023 | 23 | #5,386 |
| 2022 | 28 | #4,790 |
| 2021 | 27 | #4,829 |
| 2020 | 26 | #4,878 |
| 2019 | 23 | #5,445 |
| 2018 | 32 | #4,356 |
| 2017 | 28 | #4,809 |
| 2016 | 25 | #5,283 |
| 2015 | 12 | #8,926 |
| 2014 | 21 | #5,991 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8,131 |
| 2012 | 15 | #7,800 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8,192 |
| 2010 | 14 | #8,267 |
| 2009 | 15 | #8,054 |
| 2008 | 13 | #8,961 |
| 2007 | 17 | #7,390 |
| 2006 | 13 | #8,711 |
| 2005 | 20 | #5,994 |
| 2004 | 23 | #5,373 |
| 2003 | 24 | #5,087 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4,276 |
| 2001 | 19 | #5,817 |
| 2000 | 14 | #7,152 |
| 1999 | 23 | #4,713 |
| 1998 | 18 | #5,579 |
| 1997 | 14 | #6,478 |
| 1996 | 28 | #3,826 |
| 1995 | 25 | #4,094 |
| 1994 | 22 | #4,516 |
| 1993 | 27 | #3,872 |
| 1992 | 33 | #3,337 |
| 1991 | 36 | #3,091 |
| 1990 | 46 | #2,566 |
| 1989 | 51 | #2,299 |
| 1988 | 30 | #3,220 |
| 1987 | 29 | #3,166 |
| 1986 | 46 | #2,227 |
| 1985 | 54 | #1,996 |
| 1984 | 48 | #2,080 |
| 1983 | 70 | #1,585 |
| 1982 | 82 | #1,461 |
| 1981 | 63 | #1,767 |
| 1980 | 74 | #1,570 |
| 1979 | 87 | #1,410 |
| 1978 | 106 | #1,186 |
| 1977 | 106 | #1,170 |
| 1976 | 114 | #1,071 |
| 1975 | 149 | #889 |
| 1974 | 130 | #950 |
| 1973 | 181 | #755 |
| 1972 | 180 | #769 |
| 1971 | 218 | #698 |
| 1970 | 228 | #689 |
| 1969 | 275 | #600 |
| 1968 | 283 | #568 |
| 1967 | 341 | #513 |
| 1966 | 364 | #491 |
| 1965 | 440 | #457 |
| 1964 | 517 | #431 |
| 1963 | 524 | #424 |
| 1962 | 581 | #398 |
| 1961 | 635 | #381 |
| 1960 | 731 | #359 |
| 1959 | 681 | #364 |
| 1958 | 856 | #311 |
| 1957 | 879 | #310 |
| 1956 | 1,076 | #256 |
| 1955 | 1,103 | #247 |
| 1954 | 1,176 | #235 |
| 1953 | 1,281 | #225 |
| 1952 | 1,398 | #205 |
| 1951 | 1,492 | #191 |
| 1950 | 1,602 | #176 |
| 1949 | 1,753 | #164 |
| 1948 | 1,872 | #152 |
| 1947 | 2,085 | #144 |
| 1946 | 1,933 | #139 |
| 1945 | 1,817 | #134 |
| 1944 | 2,056 | #127 |
| 1943 | 2,217 | #126 |
| 1942 | 2,203 | #124 |
| 1941 | 2,273 | #116 |
| 1940 | 2,373 | #106 |
| 1939 | 2,496 | #100 |
| 1938 | 2,726 | #94 |
| 1937 | 2,763 | #88 |
| 1936 | 2,730 | #90 |
| 1935 | 3,003 | #82 |
| 1934 | 3,178 | #78 |
| 1933 | 3,217 | #71 |
| 1932 | 3,608 | #66 |
| 1931 | 3,760 | #67 |
| 1930 | 4,101 | #65 |
| 1929 | 4,519 | #56 |
| 1928 | 4,928 | #55 |
| 1927 | 5,483 | #47 |
| 1926 | 5,856 | #41 |
| 1925 | 6,176 | #43 |
| 1924 | 6,586 | #39 |
| 1923 | 6,541 | #38 |
| 1922 | 7,246 | #32 |
| 1921 | 7,603 | #32 |
| 1920 | 7,868 | #30 |
| 1919 | 7,809 | #28 |
| 1918 | 8,075 | #28 |
| 1917 | 7,865 | #24 |
| 1916 | 7,601 | #25 |
| 1915 | 7,379 | #23 |
| 1914 | 6,204 | #21 |
| 1913 | 5,369 | #20 |
| 1912 | 5,073 | #18 |
| 1911 | 4,141 | #15 |
| 1910 | 4,146 | #13 |
| 1909 | 3,661 | #13 |
| 1908 | 3,786 | #12 |
| 1907 | 3,698 | #12 |
| 1906 | 3,511 | #12 |
| 1905 | 3,401 | #12 |
| 1904 | 3,296 | #11 |
| 1903 | 3,257 | #9 |
| 1902 | 3,295 | #9 |
| 1901 | 3,067 | #9 |
| 1900 | 3,896 | #8 |
| 1899 | 2,999 | #9 |
| 1898 | 3,531 | #8 |
| 1897 | 3,182 | #8 |
| 1896 | 3,502 | #6 |
| 1895 | 3,391 | #8 |
| 1894 | 3,287 | #7 |
| 1893 | 3,119 | #8 |
| 1892 | 3,035 | #8 |
| 1891 | 2,689 | #7 |
| 1890 | 2,718 | #7 |
| 1889 | 2,463 | #8 |
| 1888 | 2,374 | #9 |
| 1887 | 1,907 | #11 |
| 1886 | 1,699 | #15 |
| 1885 | 1,495 | #15 |
| 1884 | 1,386 | #18 |
| 1883 | 1,132 | #20 |
| 1882 | 989 | #24 |
| 1881 | 788 | #25 |
| 1880 | 633 | #38 |
Names like Ethel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Edith Mabel Elsie Hazel Nellie Esther Florence Annie Ada Eva Etta Olive
Names related to Ethel
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Alfie Edward Teddy Waylon Alfred Audrey Wilfred Ozzy Edie Eddie Edwin Ted Teddie Eduardo Edgar Alden