Ethel: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “noble”
- Origin
- Old English
- Say it
- ETH-əl · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Girls
From Old English æðel, an element found in Anglo-Saxon names such as Æthelred and Æthelwulf. It later came into use as an independent given name.
How popular is Ethel?
Babies named Ethel in 202427
2024 rank#4,873 girls
Peak year1896
Total US babies since 1880280,380
Ethel is rising: use over the last five years is 1.8× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Ethel
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Ethel questions
What does the name Ethel mean?
Ethel means "noble". It comes from Old English. From Old English æðel, an element found in Anglo-Saxon names such as Æthelred and Æthelwulf. It later came into use as an independent given name.
Is Ethel a boy or girl name?
Ethel is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Ethel?
27 US babies were named Ethel in 2024. Its peak year was 1896.
How do you pronounce Ethel?
Ethel is usually pronounced ETH-əl.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.