Ethel

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Ethel

Gender: Feminine, previously also Masculine
Language: Old English
Etymology:
Ethel is the modern English form of Aethel, Aethelu, or the Germanic name Athala, which all meant “Noble.” Originally it was both a male (Athmarr, and Athemar were male variants).

History:
In Anglo-Saxon days, many names began with “aethel” or “ethel,” names like Ethelred and Ethelreda (Noble Advice), Etheldred and Etheldreda (Noble Strength), Ethelburg and Ethelburga (Noble Fort), Ethelgiva (Noble Gift), Ethelbert and Ethelberta (Noble Bright, see Albert), Ethelfleda (Noble Clean), Ethelinda (Noble Serpent).

Many of these names were revived in the 19th century, when many medieval names (especially Old English names) were chosen by romantic-minded authors and parents. Ethelinda and Ethelinda were two of the more successful. None of these long names, however, became all that common.

However, a short form of these names, Ethel, was popularized by two novels, 1855’s The Newcomes by William Thackeray (1811-1863) and 1856’s The Daisy Chain by Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823-1901).

Ethel quickly became a very fashionable name for young ladies, on both sides of the Atlantic. Every few years the number of Ethels doubled. In the 1880 U.S., for example, there were twelve times more girls were being named Ethel than there were in 1870.

As a consequence of becoming so popular, so quickly, Ethel became labeled as an “old-fashioned name by the mid-20th century. By the 1980s, it had virtually disappeared.

Pronunciation: ETH-ell.

Diminutives: Eth, Thel, Ettie.

Alternates: Ethalyn, Ethelyn, Ethelene, Ethyle.
Hawaiian: Ekela.
Hungarian: Etel, Etelka, Etilka.
Polish: Etel.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Ethel Lynn Beers (Ethelinda Eliot) (1827-1879)
American poet.
Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (1858-1944)
English composer.
Ethel Sibyl Turner (1872-1958)
English novelist.
Ethel Mairet (1872-1952)
English weaver.

Fictional Characters:
Ethel Newcome (1855)
From William Thackeray’s The Newcombes.
Ethel(dred) May (1856)
From Charlotte Mary Yonge’s The Daisy Chain.

Miscellaneous:
Ethel Rosenberg (1915-1953)
American spy for the Soviet Union. Executed.

Political Figures:
Ethel Kennedy (1928-)
American political matriarch. Wife of former Robert Kennedy.

Scientists:
Ethel Collins Dunham (1882-1969)
American pediatrician.

Singers and Entertainers:
Ethel Barrymore (1879-1959)
American actress.
Ethel Waters (1896-1977)
American blues singer.
Ethel Merman (1909-1984)
American singer and actress.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.174 % named Ethel
0.003 % named Ethelyn

Popularity of Ethel:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1875: 123rd most popular.
1880: 38th most popular.
1881: 25th most popular.
1882: 24th most popular.
1883: 20th most popular.
1884: 18th most popular.
1885: 15th most popular.
1886: 15th most popular.
1887: 11th most popular.
1888: 9th most popular.
1889: 8th most popular.
1890: 7th most popular.
1891: 8th most popular.
1892: 7th most popular.
1893: 8th most popular.
1894: 7th most popular.
1895: 8th most popular.
1896: 6th most popular. - Peak!
1897: 8th most popular.
1898: 8th most popular.
1899: 9th most popular.
1900: 8th most popular.
1901: 9th most popular.
1902: 9th most popular.
1903: 9th most popular.
1904: 11th most popular.
1905: 12th most popular.
1906: 12th most popular.
1907: 12th most popular.
1908: 12th most popular.
1909: 13th most popular.
1910: 13th most popular.
1911: 14th most popular.
1912: 18th most popular.
1913: 20th most popular.
1914: 22nd most popular.
1915: 23rd most popular.
1916: 25th most popular.
1917: 24th most popular.
1918: 28th most popular.
1919: 28th most popular.
1920: 30th most popular.
1921: 32nd most popular.
1922: 31st most popular.
1923: 38th most popular.
1924: 39th most popular.
1925: 42nd most popular.
1926: 41st most popular.
1927: 47th most popular.
1928: 55th most popular.
1929: 56th most popular.
1930: 65th most popular.
1931: 67th most popular.
1932: 65th most popular.
1933: 71st most popular.
1934: 78th most popular.
1935: 82nd most popular.
1936: 90th most popular.
1937: 88th most popular.
1938: 94th most popular.
1939: 100th most popular.
1940: 106th most popular.
1941: 114th most popular.
1942: 124th most popular.
1943: 126th most popular.
1944: 127th most popular.
1945: 134th most popular.
1946: 140th most popular.
1947: 144th most popular.
1948: 152nd most popular.
1949: 163rd most popular.
1950: 176th most popular.
1951: 193rd most popular.
1952: 207th most popular.
1953: 224th most popular.
1954: 235th most popular.
1955: 238th most popular.
1956: 255th most popular.
1957: 310th most popular.
1958: 310th most popular.
1959: 363rd most popular.
1960: 359th most popular.
1961: 381st most popular.
1962: 393rd most popular.
1963: 426th most popular.
1964: 431st most popular.
1965: 456th most popular.
1966: 491st most popular.
1967: 514th most popular.
1968: 569th most popular.
1969: 597th most popular.
1970: 694th most popular.
1971: 692nd most popular.
1972: 766th most popular.
1973: 755th most popular.
1974: 950th most popular.
1975: 895th most popular.
1976-2004: N/A

In England...
1875: 25th most popular.
1900: 10th most popular.
1925: 39th most popular.

Selected Sources:
The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Withycombe, 3rd ed., 1977
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880
The Guinness Book of Names, Dunkling, 1983, for British stats from 1700-1981