Will my child share the name Ethel with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 26 UK babies named Ethel per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ethel in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Ethel becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Ethel is rising: up 458 places since 2020, to #1,229 in 2025. Its best recorded position was #980 in 2024.

Is Ethel a good choice for a distinctive name?

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.

Is Ethel a popular baby name in the United States?

Ethel does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice.

👧 Girl's name 💎 Relatively Unique UK #1229

Ethel

🗳️ Add Ethel to a family shortlist

Ethel is a distinctive choice, ranked #1229 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Ethel in their class.

💎

UK Rank 2025

#1229

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 uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Ethel in their class.

⭐ Famous People Named Ethel

Ethel Caterham — 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.
Ethel May Eliza Zahel — Ethel May Eliza Zahel (nee Kemp) was an Australian public servant and schoolteacher who was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.
Ethel Spears — Ethel Spears was an American artist known for her humorous paintings of Depression-era urban life.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the name Ethel

UK babies named Ethel (2025)

< 1

Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)

~0.0

In a school of 600

↑ 458 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

Almost certainly the only Ethel in the class

UK Popularity (2000–2025)

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

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About the Name Ethel

Meaning

noble

Famous People Named Ethel

Notable people who share this name, from history to the present day. See full list on Wikipedia

Ethel Caterham1909

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.

Ethel May Eliza Zahel1905

Ethel May Eliza Zahel (nee Kemp) was an Australian public servant and schoolteacher who was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

Ethel Spears1903

Ethel Spears was an American artist known for her humorous paintings of Depression-era urban life.

Ethel Kennedy

Ethel Kennedy was an American human rights advocate.

Ethel Barrymore

Ethel Barrymore was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors.

Ethel Scull

Ethel Redner Scull was an American art collector.