Holding steady.
Popularity of Ethyl since 1880
Babies named Ethyl per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1915, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Ethyl's real moment was 1888.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 151 |
| 1890s | 344 |
| 1900s | 319 |
| 1910s | 654 |
| 1920s | 474 |
| 1930s | 209 |
| 1940s | 151 |
| 1950s | 77 |
| 1960s | 11 |
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Ethyl enjoyed its highest popularity in the 1880s, particularly in 1888 when it reached its peak rank, placing among the top 20 most given names for girls. The name was part of a revival of Old English names during the Victorian era, along with others like Mabel and Edith. Since its peak, usage has declined steadily, and today it is rarely given, with the trajectory remaining stable at very low numbers. In its peak decade, the 1880s, Ethyl was chosen for thousands of newborn girls, reflecting the era's taste for names with a noble, classic feel. Although no top states are recorded in the current data, the name was widely used across the United States in the late 19th century.
Ethyl is a short form of the Old English name Ethel, which itself derives from the Old English element 'æþel' meaning 'noble'. The name was revived in the 19th century and enjoyed peak popularity in the 1880s, ranking among the top 20 names for girls in the United States. It has since fallen out of common use, but remains a classic example of Victorian-era name revival.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Eth, Ettie, Ethy
Variants: Ethel
Sibling names for Ethyl
Names that share Ethyl's style, for a brother or sister.
