Girl name · Old English
Ethel
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: nobleEthel is a girl's name that comes from Old English and means "noble". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Noble
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #4211 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ethel
As a girl's name, Ethel comes from Old English and means "noble". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ethel on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ethel on 6 lists.
“A grand old name for a grand old goose”
From Porch goose names, girl porch goose names
“Old English for noble”
From Female cat names, vintage girl cat names
“Old English for noble, vintage and proud”
From Girl dog names, vintage human names for girl dogs
“Noble; English. A 19th-century short form of Old English royal names”
From Strong female names, names that mean queen, lady or ruler
“Noble; Old English, a short form of royal Saxon names”
From Unique girl names, unique vintage girl names
“Noble; Old English. A 1900s favorite with Old English roots”
From Vintage girl names, old fashioned girl names from the 1900s to 1920s
How popular is Ethel?
- US rank in 2025
- #4,211
- 34 babies, 21 per million girls
- Best rank
- #6 in 1896
- Most babies: 8,075 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 278,922
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 11,325 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 14,158 per million |
| 1900s | 11,910 per million |
| 1910s | 7,805 per million |
| 1920s | 5,255 per million |
| 1930s | 2,962 per million |
| 1940s | 1,421 per million |
| 1950s | 600 per million |
| 1960s | 257 per million |
| 1970s | 97 per million |
| 1980s | 32 per million |
| 1990s | 15 per million |
| 2000s | 10 per million |
| 2010s | 11 per million |
| 2020s | 17 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,337 | #4,851 | #4,387 | #5,490 | #4,933 | #4,880 | #4,835 | #5,440 | #4,937 | #4,211 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Ethel
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- EstherPossibly star (Persian, girl)
- EidelDelicate (Yiddish, girl)
- EmelWish, aspiration (Arabic, girl)
- EstelA star (Catalan, girl)
- EzhilBeauty (Tamil, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AdelaideNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdelinaNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AdelineNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlfonsoNoble and ready (Gothic, boy)
Middle names for Ethel
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BelleBeautiful (French, girl)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- LaurelBay tree, a symbol of victory (Latin, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- MarigoldMary's gold (English, girl)
- PaigeYoung servant, page (Old French, girl)
- SoleilSun (French, girl)
More girl names from Old English
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
- ÆlfflædElf beauty (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfgifuElf gift (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfthrythElf strength (Old English, girl)
Ethel: common questions
What does the name Ethel mean?
Ethel comes from Old English and means "noble".
Is Ethel a boy or girl name?
Ethel is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ethel come from?
Ethel comes from Old English and means "noble". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Ethel?
Ethel ranked #4,211 in the US in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Ethel?
Names spelled like Ethel include Esther, Eidel, Emel, Estel and Ezhil.
What middle names go with Ethel?
Middle names that flow well with Ethel include Amelia, Belle, Blair, Laurel and Louise. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.