Total births
487,389
Boys' name · since 1882
Ethan
487,389 babies named Ethan in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 2004. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #19
- among boys today
- 487,389
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ethan is the #19 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 487,389 recorded since 1882.
Social Security Administration records show Ethan recorded 487,389 times among boys since 1882, holding rank #19 nationally today, ahead of 99.9% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #19 among boys today
- 487,389 born since 1882
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ethan is currently the #19 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 487,389 born since 1882, peaking in the 2000s.
- #19
- among boys today
- 487,389
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Ethan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#19
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Ethan was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
22,210 babies were named Ethan in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Ethan compares
487,389 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ethan's all-time total is 1,328x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ethan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 487,389 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 22,210 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ethan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ethan splits its recorded history at 1963: 100% of all births land in the more recent half, 0% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1908 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2004 peak of 22,210 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ethan at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2004
Current rank
#19
Active since
1882
Ethan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2004)
- 22,210
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Ethan popularity over time - girls
755 total births recorded since 1983 (Ethan as girls' name)
Ethan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Ethan's strongest decade.
201,835 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Ethan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 30
1880s
30 births
- 1890s 31
1890s
31 births
- 1900s 17
1900s
17 births
- 1910s 184
1910s
184 births
- 1920s 233
1920s
233 births
- 1930s 225
1930s
225 births
- 1940s 254
1940s
254 births
- 1950s 553
1950s
553 births
- 1960s 1,601
1960s
1,601 births
- 1970s 5,301
1970s
5,301 births
- 1980s 10,490
1980s
10,490 births
- 1990s 66,930
1990s
66,930 births
- 2000s
2000s
201,835 births
- 2010s
2010s
149,111 births
- 2020s 50,594
2020s
50,594 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 201,835 births (41% of all-time use).
How Ethan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ethan's total volume
Ethan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ethan by state
Where Ethan concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 62,291 | 12.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 43,954 | 9.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 30,277 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Florida | | 24,752 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 18,633 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 18,591 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 18,056 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 15,112 | 3.1% |
California share of Ethan's total US births 12.8%
Even split
62,291 of 487,389 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ethan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ethan? ▼
487,389 babies have been named Ethan since 1882. It currently ranks #19 among boys. The peak year was 2004 with 22,210 births.
When was Ethan most popular? ▼
Ethan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 201,835 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Where is Ethan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ethan are California (62,291 births), Texas (43,954 births), New York (30,277 births).
How long has the name Ethan been used? ▼
Records for Ethan go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ethan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ethen, Ethyn, Ethel, Ethaniel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ethan's data
- Ethan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (201,835 total births); usage has since declined to 50,594 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ethans (62,291 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ethan
Nearby Names Like Ethan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ethan
Ethen Boy
#4091 3,858 births
Ethyn Boy
1,541 births
Ethel Boy
1,490 births
Ethaniel Boy
#4487 1,006 births
Ethin Boy
300 births
Compare Ethan side by side: Ethan vs Ethen Ethan vs Ethyn Ethan vs Ethel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ethan
Michael #18
4,426,753 births · Peak 1957
Asher #20
111,227 births · Peak 2022
Samuel #17
820,196 births · Peak 2001
John #21
5,182,633 births · Peak 1947
Daniel #16
1,982,812 births · Peak 1985
Hudson #22
114,287 births · Peak 2025
Jack #15
756,943 births · Peak 1927
Luca #23
77,521 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ethan: #19 Boys' Name - 487,389 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ethan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ethan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.