The first name Ethel
A girl’s name from English meaning “noble”.
Pronounced /ˈɛθɪl/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
English origin
Ethel means “noble” in English.
Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”). First used in the 19th century. Cognate to the Germanic Adela and Adele.
More names that mean noble.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 26 girls were named Ethel, making it the 1,229th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 36 births (#980).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ethel with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ethel at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 34 girls born in the United States were named Ethel, the 4,211th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 8,075 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ethel in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ethel in Polish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Ethel
54 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ethel BarrymoreAmerican actress (1879–1959)
- Ethel MermanAmerican actress and singer (1908-1984)
- Ethel Lilian VoynichBritish writer and musician (1864–1960)
- Ethel SmythEnglish composer and suffragette (1858–1944)
- Ethel WatersAmerican blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress (1896-1977)
- Ethel KennedyAmerican human-rights campaigner and spouse of US Senator Robert F. Kennedy, 1928–2024
- Ethel CatherwoodCanadian track and field athlete, 1908–1987
- Ethel SmithCanadian sprinter (1907-1979)
- Ethel May CollinsEnglish supercentenarian (born 1909)
- Ethel LackieAmerican swimmer (1907–1979)
- Ethel Thomson LarcombeEnglish tennis and badminton player (1879-1965)
- Ethel ClaytonAmerican actress (1882–1966)
More English girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ethel mean?
- Ethel means “noble” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Ethel?
- Short form of names of Old English origin beginning with Ethel-, æþele (“noble”). First used in the 19th century. Cognate to the Germanic Adela and Adele.
- How popular is the name Ethel?
- In 2025, 26 girls born in England and Wales were named Ethel, ranking 1,229th. Its peak was 2024, with 36 births.
- What are nicknames for Ethel?
- Common nicknames for Ethel include Eth.
- Is Ethel a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 280,412 US babies named Ethel since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ethel most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 8,075 babies were named Ethel, its highest rank at 28th.
- How do you pronounce Ethel?
- Ethel is /ˈɛθɪl/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Ethel?
- Ethyl.