Girls' name · since 1880
Ethelyn
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,450 babies named Ethelyn, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,777 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,450
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ethelyn sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 4,450 recorded since 1880.
Ethelyn has 4,450 recorded births among girls since 1880, 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 1880 to 2014.
- #2,777 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 4,450 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ethelyn ranks #2,777 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,450 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2,777 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,450
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Ethelyn's 4,450 recorded births place it above 96.15% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
28 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Ethelyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ethelyn's full recorded timeline at 1927, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1967, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 168 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ethelyn popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2014
- Peak year (1920)
- 168
- Annual births at peak, across 135 years of records
Ethelyn by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (1,250 births, 28% of the file).
1920s was Ethelyn's strongest decade.
1,250 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Ethelyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 142
1880s
142 births
- 1890s 241
1890s
241 births
- 1900s 370
1900s
370 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,100 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,250 births
- 1930s
1930s
626 births
- 1940s 373
1940s
373 births
- 1950s 226
1950s
226 births
- 1960s 100
1960s
100 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,250 births (28% of all-time use).
How Ethelyn compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ethelyn's total volume
Ethelyn by state
Where Ethelyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 210 | 4.7% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 169 | 3.8% |
| #3 | Maine | | 104 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 95 | 2.1% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 91 | 2.0% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 86 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Texas | | 81 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 78 | 1.8% |
210 of 4,450 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Ethelyn appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ethelyn? ▼
Where does Ethelyn sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ethelyn most popular? ▼
Where is Ethelyn most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ethelyn been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ethelyn? ▼
What to do with Ethelyn's data
- Ethelyn's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,250 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ethelyns (210 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ethelyn
Nearby Names Like Ethelyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ethelyn
Compare Ethelyn side by side: Ethelyn vs Ethel Ethelyn vs Ethyl Ethelyn vs Ethelene
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ethelyn: 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 (~134 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, 1880–2014 (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 Ethelyn 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.