Ethel is a distinctive choice, ranked #980 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Ethel in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#980
About the Name Ethel
Ethel has never been more popular than it is right now, sitting at UK #980. The name has climbed 707 places in the last five years — a significant surge by any measure. The name has been a regular feature in UK records since 2000.
Ethel is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ethel
Unlikely. With around 36 UK babies named Ethel per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ethel in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ethel is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 707 places over the last five years to #980 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Ethel is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Ethel does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Ethels in the wild.
36
UK babies named Ethel (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 707 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ethel
Likely around 1 other Ethel in the class
UK Popularity (2000–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Ethel
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Ethel May Caterham is an English supercentenarian who, at the age of 116 years, 234 days, has been the world's oldest verified living person since the death of Inah Canabarro Lucas on 30 April 2025. She is the oldest British person in recorded history and the last known surviving validated individual born in the 1900s decade.
Ethel May Eliza Zahel (nee Kemp) was an Australian public servant and schoolteacher who was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia. On 6 November 1895, she married Mark Charles Zahel, solicitor, at her parents' home in Mackay.
Ethel Barrymore was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarded as "The First Lady of the American Theatre".
Ethel Redner Scull was an American art collector. Well known for her collection of pop and minimal art that she assembled with her husband, Robert Scull.