Total births
178
Boys' name · since 1887
Ethelbert
Ethelbert has 178 recorded births since 1887 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1916 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 178
- total births
- 1887–1975
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
Ethelbert sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 178 recorded since 1887.
Ethelbert has 178 recorded births among boys since 1887, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 1975.
- 178 total births
- 1887–1975 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 38% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
178 boys have been named Ethelbert since 1887, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1975.
- 178
- total births
- 1887–1975
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Ethelbert was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
14 babies were named Ethelbert in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Ethelbert's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ethelbert's SSA record in two at 1924 and the more recent half accounts for 42% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 58%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1892, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1916 peak of 14, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ethelbert at a glance
Last recorded 1975Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1887
Ethelbert popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–1975
- Peak year (1916)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Ethelbert popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1927 (Ethelbert as girls' name)
Ethelbert by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ethelbert's strongest decade.
68 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Ethelbert births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
58 births
- 1920s
1920s
68 births
- 1930s 26
1930s
26 births
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 68 births (38% of all-time use).
Ethelbert by state
Where Ethelbert concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 5 | 2.8% |
New York share of Ethelbert's total US births 2.8%
5 of 178 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ethelbert? ▼
Ethelbert has been given to 178 babies in the U.S. since 1887, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1975. 14 babies were born in 1916, its single highest year.
When was Ethelbert most popular? ▼
Ethelbert was most popular in the 1920s decade with 68 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Ethelbert most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ethelbert are New York (5 births).
How long has the name Ethelbert been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ethelbert since 1887 -- 89 years through the most recent 1975 data.
What names are similar to Ethelbert? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ethan, Ethen, Ethyn, Ethel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ethelbert's data
- Ethelbert's decade-level peak was the 1920s (68 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ethelberts (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Ethelbert
Nearby Names Like Ethelbert
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ethelbert
Ethan Boy
#19 487,389 births
Ethen Boy
#4091 3,858 births
Ethyn Boy
1,541 births
Ethel Boy
1,490 births
Ethaniel Boy
#4487 1,006 births
Compare Ethelbert side by side: Ethelbert vs Ethan Ethelbert vs Ethen Ethelbert vs Ethyn
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1887–1975 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ethelbert: Baby Name Since 1887 - 178 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ethelbert. 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 Ethelbert 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 July 2026.