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Ethel, is that you? We're adding pictures to the site for every name. If your name is Ethel submit your photo so other people can see what Ethel looks like!
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Girls Named Ethel
This chart illustrates how many Girls were named Ethel in the U.S. since 1880.
Records indicate that at least 277,033 girls have been named Ethel since 1880 in the United States.
So ... how do we know this stuff? Baby Names Hub identifies trends by analyzing vast amounts of data made available by the U.S. government and other public sources. This data, including social security statistics, provides detailed information on baby name popularity and trends in the United States.
User Comments about the name Ethel
Comment left Jun 03, 2008: "The wife of Jeeves And Wooster creator P.G. Wodehouse was called Ethel and she lived until 1984, dying at the age of 99. Her husband, whom she married in 1914, died in 1975 aged 94. There was also Ethel Le Neve, who died in 1967 aged 84, but who in 1910 was both the secretary and lover of the American-born killer Dr Crippen (21 years her senior), who was arrested with Miss Le Neve in 1910 after they were tracked down through radio while on board a ship pretending to be father and, well, son rather than daughter, yet Dr Crippen was the one who was hanged for the murder of his wife Cora Turner (an actress under the stage name of Belle Elmore) while Miss Le Neve was acquitted. Lastly, there was Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg, born in 1915 and married to Julius Rosenberg, born in 1918, and both were executed for espionage in 1953." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left May 17, 2008: "Talking of singers or actresses or hotel/restaurant manageresses or party hostesses or whatever over the years who were forenamed Ethel or perhaps Edith or Mabel or Gertrude or even Patricia or Joyce or Barbara or Janet (I don't think a Tracy or a Lisa or a Karen would have become any of those until recently), who can forget Ethel Merman who was a well-known singer and actress in her day? But unfortunately, around the time Miss Merman sang 'There's No Business Like Show Business' in the Fifties, the TV series 'I Love Lucy' came on air with actress Vivian Vance in the role of Ethel Mertz, and the "ethyl" associations perhaps discouraged use as well. On the British side of the Atlantic, the name has since 1985 been associated with one of the original characters of the soap 'EastEnders', the dithery Ethel Skinner, always asking "Where's Willy" (as in her pug dog named after the character's late husband). I think going back to the old-fashioned names can in some cases be just as silly as choosing made-up names because no matter what name you choose, regardless of whether they have history or are recent, ANY of those names can become dated again after a few years. Though other "older" names like Grace, Lily, Daisy, Ella, and Ruby are now popular again (and Sarah, Laura, Rebecca, and Rachel were other ones becoming fashionable again in the preceding generation - it was probably bad enough in some cases but not in others choosing THOSE names, let alone the ones of today), I can only picture old ladies of today called Ethel (including Madame Skinner), who may have been middle-aged women in the Fifties/Sixties and youngsters around 1910 or 1920. Even if some of us are actually looking forward to having grandchildren named Patricia or Janet or Shirley and great-grandchildren called Tracy or Lisa, it'd be better to name your daughter Margaret or Beatrice or Mabel or Edith or Violet rather than Ethel - even though, as said, going back to "older" names can, according to some, be just as silly as those Madison/Caitlin/Ashley type names. I don't think a name like Ethel is one to overcome the negative associations anytime soon, and perhaps Edith still has some negative associations of its own (remember Edith Bunker in the U.S. sitcom 'All In The Family'?)." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left May 14, 2008: "To the singer/entrepreneur named Ethel I say "good for you!" All women, including old ladies, were once young beautiful girls. I would take 1000 Ethels over one Brittany or Ashley or Star anyday! I especially hate the made up names or stupid spellings people use nowadays. Hold your head high, Ethel!" (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left May 12, 2008: "While this, alongside Bertha and Gertrude, is among the worst of the old lady names, there are other old lady names generally considered harsh but are probably less so - e.g. Edith, Florence, Dorothy, Marjorie, and Elsie. In a previous comment I made about this name, I was meant to say "they are" instead of "it is" in terms of the names Joyce, Betty, and Audrey being considered less old ladyish than Ethel whilst generally considered old ladyish themselves. Though some older names do stand the test of time, I don't think Ethel or Bertha or Gertrude are among them. Instead, I think of those three as terminally old ladyish. One may get away with naming a daughter Dorothy or Betty or Audrey, but I think Ethel is one name to be avoided, probably because of the "ethyl" or Ethel Mertz connotations which haven't gone away and don't seem likely to either." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Apr 23, 2008: "Too horrible and stuffy and also makes me think of that compound chemical 'ethyl' (also pronounced as 'eethill') as well as those primary TV characters of Mesdames Skinner and Mertz in EastEnders and I Love Lucy respectively. It's just as out-of-date as such elaborations that were not at all common (such as Ethelwyn, Ethelbert, Ethelred, Ethelburga, and Ethelinda), but it was very popular in 1900 when American actress Ethel Barrymore and British writer Ethel M. Dell were around." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Mar 05, 2008: "Despite its "noble" meaning, I don't think a name like Ethel is one to EVER come back into fashion, and should therefore stay in the 1900s (although I do think other "older" names like Edith, Mabel, Beatrice, Violet and Florence are due for revival - and believe it or not some of us are actually looking forward to some day gaining grandchildren called Maureen or Patricia or Yvonne or Rita or Sandra and then great-grandchildren called Karen or Tracy or Kim). I don't think it's likely to shake off any of the negative associations - e.g. Ethel Skinner in the 1980s and '90s episodes of the UK soap EastEnders (she was known for saying "Where's Willy" with reference to her pug dog), Ethel Mertz in the US comedy of the 1950s I Love Lucy, and the word 'ethyl' which indicates a type of alcohol. It's usually men's names (e.g. Frank, Arthur, Harold, Leonard, Malcolm, George etc.) rather than women's names which stand the test of time, but I don't think Ethel ever will (perhaps Joyce, Betty, and Audrey might because although they are old ladyish themselves it is less so than Ethel)." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Mar 04, 2008: "But just think - calling your child Ethel may result in having a grandchild called Maureen or Shirley and then a great-grandchild called Karen or Tracey. A name like Ethel will forever make me think Ethel Skinner in EastEnders (not to mention Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy the '50s television sitcom on the American side of the Atlantic). Edith may be a better choice than Ethel (partly because of Edith Bowman on radio 1) but, as said, a grandchild called Maureen and then a great-grandchild named Karen may follow." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Feb 28, 2008: "My name is Ethel and I'm not at all as some of the comments suggest. I was named after my grandmother and although I have had quite a few experiences with the name growing up, I've learned to love my name and can't see myself with any other name (nor can anyone else). I'm a glamorous 42 year old jazz singer (www.ethelfitzjohn.com) who has also started her own natural skin care company (www.naturessence.co.uk) and I'm not at all old fashioned or wrinkly - check out my pix on my music site if you don't believe me! It's time to give the name positive connotations and make it fashionable again, as after all, it means "Noble". The name will stand the test of time long after some of the recent faddy names have faded into obscurity! So there! Ethel" (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Jan 20, 2007: "Whenever I mention this name I think of Ethel Skinner, that dithery pensioner in the British soap opera 'EastEnders', or any other elderly woman in general. Personally, this name has worse connotations than the similar-looking name Edith, which is generally another name associated with old ladies." (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Dec 08, 2006: "It's a horrible old person's name, one of the worst ones around, worse than Edith, but not quite as bad as Bertha or Gertrude, yet I believe it levels with Edna somewhat. Whoever would nowadays want to be named after Ethel Barrymore, Ethel Merman, that dithery Ethel Skinner in 'EastEnders', or any old lady called Ethel in general?" (Report as inappropriate)
Comment left Nov 29, 2006: "My mother, who's now 94, is called Ethelwyn, a very unusual name. Are there any others around?" (Report as inappropriate)
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