Girls' name · since 1910
Ethelda
396 babies named Ethelda in U.S. Social Security records since 1910, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #13,597 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 396
- born since 1910
- 1920s
- peak decade
396 girls have been named Ethelda since 1910, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Ethelda has 396 recorded births among girls since 1910, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls 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 1910 to 1962.
- #13,597 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 396 born since 1910
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ethelda ranks #13,597 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 396 born since 1910, peaking in the 1920s.
- #13,597 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 396
- born since 1910
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ethelda's 396 recorded births place it above 81.18% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
Ethelda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ethelda's SSA record in two at 1928 and the more recent half accounts for 36% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 64%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1911, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 37, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ethelda popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–1962
- Peak year (1920)
- 37
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Ethelda by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (198 births, 50% of the file).
1920s was Ethelda's strongest decade.
198 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Ethelda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
81 births
- 1920s
1920s
198 births
- 1930s 65
1930s
65 births
- 1940s 41
1940s
41 births
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 198 births (50% of all-time use).
Ethelda by state
Where Ethelda concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 10 | 2.5% |
10 of 396 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ethelda? ▼
Where does Ethelda sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ethelda most popular? ▼
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What to do with Ethelda's data
- Ethelda's decade-level peak was the 1920s (198 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1960s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Etheldas (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ethelda
Nearby Names Like Ethelda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ethelda
Compare Ethelda side by side: Ethelda vs Ethel Ethelda vs Ethelyn Ethelda vs Ethyl
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ethelda: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1920)
Similar record span (~52 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1910–1962 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Ethelda 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 August 2026.