Total births
396
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.
- 396
- total births
- 1910–1962
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 50%
- born in that 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.
- 396 total births
- 1910–1962 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 50% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
396 girls have been named Ethelda since 1910, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1962.
- 396
- total births
- 1910–1962
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 50%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Ethelda was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
37 babies were named Ethelda in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1962Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1910
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
Texas share of Ethelda's total US births 2.5%
10 of 396 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ethelda? ▼
Since 1910, Social Security records show 396 babies named Ethelda. The most recent recorded year was 1962. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 37 births.
When was Ethelda most popular? ▼
Ethelda was most popular in the 1920s decade with 198 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Ethelda most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ethelda are Texas (10 births).
How long has the name Ethelda been used? ▼
Ethelda has been recorded in Social Security data since 1910, spanning 53 years of data through 1962.
What names are similar to Ethelda? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ethel, Ethelyn, Ethyl, Ethelene, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Ethelda
Nearby Names Like Ethelda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ethelda
Ethel Girl
#4893 278,922 births
Ethelyn Girl
4,450 births
Ethyl Girl
2,395 births
Ethelene Girl
1,837 births
Etha Girl
1,802 births
Compare Ethelda side by side: Ethelda vs Ethel Ethelda vs Ethelyn Ethelda vs Ethyl
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1910–1962 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ethelda: Baby Name Since 1910 - 396 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ethelda. 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 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 June 2026.