Total births
88
Girls' name · since 1917
Rethel
88 babies named Rethel in U.S. Social Security records since 1917, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 88
- total births
- 1917–1956
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 50%
- born in that decade
Rethel sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 88 recorded since 1917.
Social Security Administration records show Rethel recorded 88 times among girls since 1917, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 1956.
- 88 total births
- 1917–1956 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 50% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
88 girls have been named Rethel since 1917, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1956.
- 88
- total births
- 1917–1956
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 50%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Rethel was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
9 babies were named Rethel in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
Rethel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rethel's SSA record in two at 1926 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1917, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 9, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rethel at a glance
Last recorded 1956Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1917
Rethel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–1956
- Peak year (1920)
- 9
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Rethel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Rethel's strongest decade.
44 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Rethel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
18 births
- 1920s
1920s
44 births
- 1930s 15
1930s
15 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 44 births (50% of all-time use).
Rethel by state
Where Rethel concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 5 | 5.7% |
Georgia share of Rethel's total US births 5.7%
5 of 88 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rethel? ▼
88 babies have been named Rethel since 1917. It was last recorded in 1956. The peak year was 1920 with 9 births.
When was Rethel most popular? ▼
Rethel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 44 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Rethel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rethel are Georgia (5 births).
How long has the name Rethel been used? ▼
Rethel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1917, spanning 40 years of data through 1956.
What names are similar to Rethel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Retha, Reta, Retta, Retal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rethel's data
- Rethel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (44 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Rethels (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Rethel
Nearby Names Like Rethel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rethel
Retha Girl
10,597 births
Reta Girl
8,616 births
Retta Girl
#12164 3,399 births
Retal Girl
#4031 341 births
Retaj Girl
#9406 244 births
Compare Rethel side by side: Rethel vs Retha Rethel vs Reta Rethel vs Retta
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, 1917–1956 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rethel: Baby Name Since 1917 - 88 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rethel. 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 Rethel 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.