The baby name Ethel is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɛθəl/ (ETH-əl).
Ethel is English in Origin.
The baby name Ethel is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɛθəl/ (ETH-əl).
Ethel is English in Origin.
Rooted in Old English æðel, Ethel carries the meaning “noble,” from the wider Germanic adal-/aþal- stem shared with Adele and Adelaide. In Anglo-Saxon England it was not a standalone name but a familiar short form of compound names beginning with Æthel-, such as Æthelthryth (later Etheldreda/Audrey), Æthelflæd, and Æthelwyn, all signaling noble lineage or character.
Revived in the Victorian era - helped by literary use in Thackeray’s The Newcomes (1855) - Ethel surged in the Anglophone world, ranking high in late-19th and early-20th century charts; figures like actress Ethel Barrymore kept it visible before it declined mid-century. Variants and extensions include Etheldreda, Ethelinda, Etheline, Ethelyn/Ethlyn, Ethelwyn/Ethelwynn, and the vintage spelling Ethyl; pet forms include Ettie, Etta, and Ethie. The name retains its core sense of nobility and can also be viewed as the English cousin of the “adal/edel” family (Adele, Adela, Adelaide), offering a crisp, gently antique sound ready for revival.
| Ethel Merman Ethel Merman was an American actor and singer best known for her powerful voice and starring roles in Broadway musicals. She gained fame for her performances in shows like 'Annie Get Your Gun' and 'Gypsy', where her rendition of 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' became particularly famous. Born in 1908, she became a defining figure in musical theater during the mid-20th century. |
| Name | Last Name(s) | Mother | Mother famous for | Fame Level | Father | Father famous for | Fame Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethel | Levitt Geary | Ethel Merman | television actor | ★★★★★ |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Girls | 2024 | #1 | — | 911 |
| BW | 0 | #19 | 1 | 960 | |
| EE | 0 | #34 | 4 | 1,051 | |
| HN | Girls | 0 | #38 | 1 | 884 |
| MT | 0 | #43 | 1 | 1,767 | |
| CM | 0 | #55 | 2 | 2,592 | |
| PR | 0 | #55 | 1 | 1,497 | |
| PH | 0 | #83 | 14 | 5,607 | |
| AF | Girls | 0 | #94 | 1 | 2,402 |
| QA | 0 | #102 | 5 | 7,011 | |
| BW | Girls | 0 | #108 | 41 | 4,216 |
| BN | Girls | 0 | #114 | 1 | 5,459 |
| KW | 0 | #120 | 2 | 5,216 | |
| OM | 0 | #120 | 2 | 6,215 | |
| CY | Girls | 0 | #124 | 2 | 3,755 |
| EE | Girls | 0 | #128 | 11 | 1,888 |
| PA | 0 | #137 | 2 | 3,797 | |
| MT | Girls | 0 | #146 | 8 | 3,773 |
| BW | Boys | 0 | #154 | 1 | 4,685 |
| PR | Girls | 0 | #164 | 4 | 3,171 |
| CR | 0 | #165 | 1 | 5,526 | |
| Sweden | Girls | 2022 | #171 | 9 | 1,568 |
| UY | 0 | #174 | 9 | 2,477 | |
| AE | 0 | #183 | 5 | 10,220 | |
| AR | 0 | #189 | 5 | 2,915 | |
| LU | Girls | 0 | #190 | 1 | 4,850 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #204 | 21 | 7,146 |
| DK | 0 | #205 | 2 | 5,198 | |
| GH | Girls | 0 | #216 | 120 | 6,973 |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #217 | 1 | 4,575 |
| PS | 0 | #221 | 6 | 5,692 | |
| GH | 0 | #231 | 13 | 5,396 | |
| MO | Girls | 0 | #241 | 11 | 7,056 |
| GR | Girls | 0 | #245 | 5 | 6,293 |
| NG | 0 | #245 | 20 | 5,926 | |
| AO | Boys | 0 | #249 | 1 | 5,568 |
| JM | Girls | 0 | #249 | 11 | 7,507 |
| JP | Girls | 0 | #249 | 3 | 6,592 |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #253 | 1 | 6,830 |
| SG | 0 | #254 | 16 | 11,010 | |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #255 | 137 | 13,098 |
| TW | Boys | 0 | #256 | 1 | 7,111 |
| EC | Girls | 0 | #258 | 1 | 3,650 |
| IL | 0 | #263 | 12 | 6,291 | |
| Canada | Girls | 2024 | #281 | 5 | 2,795 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #283 | 7 | 8,139 |
| SA | 0 | #285 | 11 | 10,560 | |
| PE | 0 | #290 | 21 | 6,350 | |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #290 | 27 | 15,378 |
| UY | Girls | 0 | #299 | 255 | 6,731 |
| DK | Girls | 0 | #322 | 8 | 7,429 |
| GT | 0 | #331 | 8 | 5,948 | |
| CN | Girls | 0 | #332 | 18 | 8,829 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #332 | 1 | 5,862 |
| HK | 0 | #334 | 15 | 8,483 | |
| MY | 0 | #346 | 9 | 12,352 | |
| CZ | Girls | 0 | #348 | 4 | 5,378 |
| BR | 0 | #356 | 5 | 5,969 | |
| SD | Girls | 0 | #358 | 1 | 7,678 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #359 | 3 | 8,138 |
| PL | Girls | 0 | #364 | 1 | 5,096 |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #373 | 24 | 15,987 |
| Finland | Girls | 0 | #379 | 13 | 1,368 |
| France | Girls | 2021 | #384 | 22 | 3,185 |
| MX | 0 | #400 | 14 | 8,339 | |
| ZA | 0 | #402 | 46 | 14,421 | |
| BD | Girls | 0 | #405 | 2 | 8,413 |
| PH | Boys | 0 | #405 | 4 | 11,440 |
| BO | 0 | #408 | 1 | 6,868 | |
| UY | Boys | 0 | #410 | 4 | 5,922 |
| CR | Girls | 0 | #421 | 112 | 11,342 |
| CL | 0 | #432 | 3 | 6,867 | |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #432 | 109 | 11,671 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #437 | 1,226 | 25,928 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #445 | 419 | 15,093 |
| PA | Girls | 0 | #450 | 32 | 9,861 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #462 | 125 | 18,916 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #464 | 52 | 19,177 |
| CO | 0 | #467 | 14 | 7,768 | |
| PT | Girls | 0 | #470 | 2 | 7,952 |
| GT | Girls | 0 | #471 | 35 | 7,500 |
| AR | Boys | 0 | #483 | 1 | 7,628 |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #488 | 112 | 8,289 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #488 | 11 | 11,913 |
| GT | Boys | 0 | #499 | 1 | 7,625 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #501 | 23 | 10,981 |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #504 | 50 | 20,968 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #510 | 1 | 10,188 |
| BH | 0 | #526 | 28 | 17,937 | |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #526 | 1 | 12,621 |
| IR | Girls | 0 | #542 | 4 | 8,334 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #557 | 59 | 16,104 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #557 | 1 | 12,905 |
| LY | 0 | #558 | 2 | 12,703 | |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| CM | Boys | 0 | #570 | 6 | 12,054 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #573 | 45 | 11,648 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #586 | 423 | 14,861 |
| BO | Girls | 0 | #594 | 18 | 9,488 |
| Finland | Girls | 2026 | #611 | 133 | 3,895 |
| BO | Boys | 0 | #622 | 1 | 9,244 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #649 | 6 | 13,121 |
| LB | 0 | #690 | 1 | 13,263 | |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #700 | 1 | 13,390 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #742 | 2 | 18,093 |
| SY | 0 | #767 | 1 | 11,684 | |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #777 | 75 | 14,098 |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #785 | 1 | 12,213 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #805 | 2 | 18,755 |
| Germany | Girls | 0 | #825 | 14 | 4,949 |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #837 | 42 | 14,506 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #850 | 86 | 25,931 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #885 | 67 | 16,906 |
| NL | Girls | 0 | #888 | 68 | 5,933 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #890 | 27 | 8,487 |
| Spain | Girls | 0 | #914 | 70 | 5,561 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #920 | 22 | 12,708 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #925 | 1 | 15,035 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #941 | 54 | 24,821 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #963 | 221 | 17,781 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #965 | 114 | 16,140 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #981 | 1 | 15,656 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #1,008 | 2 | 14,742 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,030 | 4 | 16,355 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,038 | 2 | 16,750 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,134 | 45 | 25,619 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,140 | 4 | 22,615 |
| IT | Girls | 0 | #1,187 | 261 | 9,415 |
| TR | 0 | #1,192 | 20 | 19,440 | |
| MA | 0 | #1,199 | 1 | 20,986 | |
| DZ | 0 | #1,234 | 1 | 20,130 | |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,689 | 3 | 28,008 |
Ethel is popular in 71 countries — most recent births per country:
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