How Many People Are Named Ethal?
An estimated 1 people in the United States have the first name Ethal. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 96 years old, and Ethal peaked in popularity in 1925 with 9 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ethal as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ethal paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 96, Ethal is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1940.
- Ethal is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
1
About 1 in 342,754,338 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
100.0% confidence
Average Age
96
years old
Peak Year
1925
9 births
Total Registered
70
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ethal
Ethal is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 70 total births registered, 100.0% were female.
Ethal as a female name
Ranked #4,811 in 1929
5 female births in 1929
Peak: 1925 (9 births)
Ethal in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 220 people with the first name Ethal, which placed it at #36,185 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ethal was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 220 people with this name in that snapshot, 5.0% were male and 95.0% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 100.0% female.
Census Count
220
people with this name
Census Rank
#36,185
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.07
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ethal was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (55.91%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (31.36%) and Hispanic (5.00%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ethal in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ethal.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 55.91% | 123 |
| Black | 31.36% | 69 |
| Hispanic | 5.00% | 11 |
| Two or More Races | 3.18% | 7 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.73% | 6 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.82% | 4 |
Ethal: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ethal span from the 1900s to the 1920s, covering 3 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 47 babies were registered. Ethal remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.
Ethal by Decade
How has Ethal tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Ethal + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ethal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ethal
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
Ethal: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ethal?
We estimate approximately 1 people named Ethal are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 342,754,338 Americans share this first name.
Is Ethal a common name?
Ethal is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 3.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 70 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ethal most popular?
Ethal reached peak popularity in 1925, when 9 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ethal is approximately 96 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ethal in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 220 people with the first name Ethal. That placed it at #36,185 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.07 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ethal was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ethal?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ethal was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 5.0% male and 95.0% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ethal?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ethal was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (55.91%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (31.36%) and Hispanic (5.00%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ethal a female name?
Ethal is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ethal have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ethal peaked in 1925, and the average living bearer is about 96 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ethal Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ethal Smith, Ethal Johnson, Ethal Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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