Total births
4,450
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.
- 4,450
- total births
- 1880–2014
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that 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.
- 4,450 total births
- 1880–2014 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
4,450 girls have been named Ethelyn since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2014.
- 4,450
- total births
- 1880–2014
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Ethelyn was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
168 babies were named Ethelyn in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
New York share of Ethelyn's total US births 4.7%
Even split
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? ▼
4,450 babies have been named Ethelyn since 1880. It was last recorded in 2014. The peak year was 1920 with 168 births.
When was Ethelyn most popular? ▼
Ethelyn was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,250 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Ethelyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ethelyn are New York (210 births), Michigan (169 births), Maine (104 births).
How long has the name Ethelyn been used? ▼
Ethelyn has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 135 years of data through 2014.
What names are similar to Ethelyn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ethel, Ethyl, Ethelene, Etha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- 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 Ethelyn
Nearby Names Like Ethelyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ethelyn
Ethel Girl
#4893 278,922 births
Ethyl Girl
2,395 births
Ethelene Girl
1,837 births
Etha Girl
1,802 births
Ether Girl
1,214 births
Compare Ethelyn side by side: Ethelyn vs Ethel Ethelyn vs Ethyl Ethelyn vs Ethelene
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, 1880–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ethelyn: Baby Name Since 1880 - 4,450 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ethelyn. 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 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 June 2026.