Ethel was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #6 in 1896 but is far less common today.
Ethel is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #4,211 for girl births in the United States (and #7,320 across all names), given to 34 babies. Ethel was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1918 (8,075 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | 34 | #4,211 | — |
| 2024 | 27 | 27 | #4,937 | — |
| 2023 | 23 | 23 | #5,440 | — |
| 2022 | 28 | 28 | #4,835 | — |
| 2021 | 27 | 27 | #4,880 | — |
| 2020 | 26 | 26 | #4,933 | — |
| 2019 | 23 | 23 | #5,490 | — |
| 2018 | 32 | 32 | #4,387 | — |
| 2017 | 28 | 28 | #4,851 | — |
| 2016 | 25 | 25 | #5,337 | — |
| 2015 | 12 | 12 | #9,129 | — |
| 2014 | 21 | 21 | #6,059 | — |
| 2013 | 14 | 14 | #8,273 | — |
| 2012 | 15 | 15 | #7,954 | — |
| 2011 | 14 | 14 | #8,333 | — |
| 2010 | 14 | 14 | #8,397 | — |
| 2009 | 15 | 15 | #8,181 | — |
| 2008 | 13 | 13 | #9,136 | — |
| 2007 | 17 | 17 | #7,496 | — |
| 2006 | 13 | 13 | #8,885 | — |
| 2005 | 20 | 20 | #6,086 | — |
| 2004 | 23 | 23 | #5,429 | — |
| 2003 | 24 | 24 | #5,138 | — |
| 2002 | 29 | 29 | #4,311 | — |
| 2001 | 19 | 19 | #5,893 | — |
| 2000 | 14 | 14 | #7,285 | — |
| 1999 | 23 | 23 | #4,770 | — |
| 1998 | 18 | 18 | #5,650 | — |
| 1997 | 14 | — | #6,595 | — |
| 1996 | 28 | — | #3,872 | — |
| 1995 | 25 | — | #4,134 | — |
| 1994 | 22 | — | #4,577 | — |
| 1993 | 27 | — | #3,905 | — |
| 1992 | 33 | — | #3,355 | — |
| 1991 | 36 | — | #3,111 | — |
| 1990 | 46 | — | #2,578 | — |
| 1989 | 51 | — | #2,312 | — |
| 1988 | 30 | — | #3,248 | — |
| 1987 | 29 | — | #3,200 | — |
| 1986 | 46 | — | #2,236 | — |
| 1985 | 54 | — | #2,002 | — |
| 1984 | 48 | — | #2,087 | — |
| 1983 | 70 | — | #1,589 | — |
| 1982 | 82 | — | #1,463 | — |
| 1981 | 63 | — | #1,770 | — |
| 1980 | 74 | — | #1,575 | — |
| 1979 | 87 | — | #1,411 | — |
| 1978 | 106 | — | #1,187 | — |
| 1977 | 106 | — | #1,171 | — |
| 1976 | 114 | — | #1,073 | — |
| 1975 | 149 | — | #889 | — |
| 1974 | 130 | — | #954 | — |
| 1973 | 181 | — | #755 | — |
| 1972 | 180 | — | #769 | — |
| 1971 | 218 | — | #698 | — |
| 1970 | 228 | — | #689 | — |
| 1969 | 275 | — | #600 | — |
| 1968 | 288 | — | #568 | #4,319 |
| 1967 | 341 | — | #513 | — |
| 1966 | 371 | — | #491 | #3,330 |
| 1965 | 445 | — | #457 | #4,077 |
| 1964 | 517 | — | #431 | — |
| 1963 | 532 | — | #425 | #3,140 |
| 1962 | 586 | — | #398 | #4,244 |
| 1961 | 635 | — | #381 | — |
| 1960 | 731 | — | #359 | — |
| 1959 | 681 | — | #364 | — |
| 1958 | 856 | — | #311 | — |
| 1957 | 884 | — | #310 | #4,168 |
| 1956 | 1,083 | — | #256 | #3,306 |
| 1955 | 1,112 | — | #247 | #2,835 |
| 1954 | 1,182 | — | #235 | #3,565 |
| 1953 | 1,281 | — | #225 | — |
| 1952 | 1,411 | — | #205 | #2,184 |
| 1951 | 1,499 | — | #191 | #3,154 |
| 1950 | 1,611 | — | #176 | #2,637 |
| 1949 | 1,762 | — | #164 | #2,672 |
| 1948 | 1,878 | — | #152 | #3,425 |
| 1947 | 2,093 | — | #144 | #2,948 |
| 1946 | 1,945 | — | #140 | #2,189 |
| 1945 | 1,827 | — | #134 | #2,298 |
| 1944 | 2,064 | — | #127 | #2,702 |
| 1943 | 2,227 | — | #126 | #2,450 |
| 1942 | 2,218 | — | #124 | #1,894 |
| 1941 | 2,289 | — | #116 | #1,783 |
| 1940 | 2,385 | — | #106 | #2,113 |
| 1939 | 2,524 | — | #100 | #1,245 |
| 1938 | 2,753 | — | #94 | #1,288 |
| 1937 | 2,786 | — | #88 | #1,421 |
| 1936 | 2,747 | — | #90 | #1,668 |
| 1935 | 3,030 | — | #82 | #1,303 |
| 1934 | 3,208 | — | #78 | #1,224 |
| 1933 | 3,252 | — | #71 | #1,107 |
| 1932 | 3,630 | — | #66 | #1,522 |
| 1931 | 3,793 | — | #67 | #1,199 |
| 1930 | 4,138 | — | #65 | #1,159 |
| 1929 | 4,551 | — | #56 | #1,244 |
| 1928 | 4,976 | — | #55 | #995 |
| 1927 | 5,526 | — | #47 | #1,089 |
| 1926 | 5,886 | — | #41 | #1,337 |
| 1925 | 6,209 | — | #43 | #1,262 |
| 1924 | 6,627 | — | #39 | #1,123 |
| 1923 | 6,572 | — | #38 | #1,310 |
| 1922 | 7,271 | — | #32 | #1,522 |
| 1921 | 7,635 | — | #32 | #1,306 |
| 1920 | 7,891 | — | #30 | #1,611 |
| 1919 | 7,849 | — | #28 | #1,086 |
| 1918 | 8,110 | — | #28 | #1,181 |
| 1917 | 7,902 | — | #24 | #1,092 |
| 1916 | 7,625 | — | #25 | #1,428 |
| 1915 | 7,409 | — | #23 | #1,191 |
| 1914 | 6,230 | — | #21 | #1,138 |
| 1913 | 5,396 | — | #20 | #954 |
| 1912 | 5,091 | — | #18 | #1,109 |
| 1911 | 4,158 | — | #15 | #804 |
| 1910 | 4,179 | — | #13 | #484 |
| 1909 | 3,686 | — | #13 | #521 |
| 1908 | 3,808 | — | #12 | #545 |
| 1907 | 3,710 | — | #12 | #786 |
| 1906 | 3,527 | — | #12 | #597 |
| 1905 | 3,415 | — | #12 | #645 |
| 1904 | 3,313 | — | #11 | #545 |
| 1903 | 3,277 | — | #9 | #476 |
| 1902 | 3,314 | — | #9 | #492 |
| 1901 | 3,083 | — | #9 | #493 |
| 1900 | 3,916 | — | #8 | #539 |
| 1899 | 3,014 | — | #9 | #508 |
| 1898 | 3,555 | — | #8 | #406 |
| 1897 | 3,199 | — | #8 | #483 |
| 1896 | 3,514 | — | #6 | #651 |
| 1895 | 3,406 | — | #8 | #534 |
| 1894 | 3,298 | — | #7 | #645 |
| 1893 | 3,131 | — | #8 | #586 |
| 1892 | 3,052 | — | #8 | #484 |
| 1891 | 2,698 | — | #7 | #660 |
| 1890 | 2,726 | — | #7 | #769 |
| 1889 | 2,477 | — | #8 | #507 |
| 1888 | 2,386 | — | #9 | #589 |
| 1887 | 1,917 | — | #11 | #604 |
| 1886 | 1,705 | — | #15 | #881 |
| 1885 | 1,508 | — | #15 | #526 |
| 1884 | 1,393 | — | #18 | #800 |
| 1883 | 1,132 | — | #20 | — |
| 1882 | 989 | — | #24 | — |
| 1881 | 793 | — | #25 | #916 |
| 1880 | 639 | — | #38 | #853 |