Fun Facts About the Name Ethan
- An all-time favorite: U.S. records show 487,303 boys named Ethan from 1880 through 2025.
- An established favorite: Ethan held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 37 consecutive years, from 1989 through 2025.
- More than 488 thousand babies named Ethan: U.S. records list 488,058 babies given the name Ethan from 1880 through 2025. Even 755 girls received the name Ethan - about 1 girl for every 645 boys.
What Does the Name Ethan Mean?
Ethan is the English form of the Hebrew name אֵיתָן (Eitan), from a Hebrew adjective meaning 'firm,' 'enduring,' 'permanent,' or 'strong.' The literal sense is stability or lastingness, not a moral quality such as loyalty. In the Hebrew Bible the word can describe what is solid or enduring, and the same form appears as a personal name. The modern Hebrew name is usually spelled Eitan; Ethan is the traditional English transliteration. Later explanations sometimes give the meaning as 'strong' or 'steadfast,' which are close extensions of the core sense.
Ethan Name History & Origins
The name appears in the Hebrew Bible. Ethan the Ezrahite is named among the wise in 1 Kings 4:31, and Psalm 89 is attributed to him in its title. Another Ethan, son of Kushaiah, is a Levite musician in 1 Chronicles 15:17. These biblical uses kept the name in Jewish and Christian scriptural tradition.
Greek and Latin biblical texts transliterated the Hebrew name, and the Latin spelling Ethan is the source of the English form. In the English-speaking world it was used as a biblical given name. Ethan Allen (1738 - 1789), the American Revolutionary War leader of the Green Mountain Boys, is an early notable bearer. Edith Wharton's novel Ethan Frome (1911) is a well-known literary use of the name. Modern Hebrew uses Eitan, the same name in its Israeli pronunciation and spelling.
How Popular is the Name Ethan?
Ethan remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1989 to 2025. Its highest annual birth count was in 2004, and people born that year turn 22 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,303 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #10,498 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #12,537 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #9,913 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #8,637 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #10,527 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #8,269 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #8,785 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #10,970 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #8,131 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #6,817 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2014 | #6,527 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #7,155 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #5,972 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2011 | #6,003 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2010 | #6,730 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #5,766 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2008 | #4,299 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2007 | #7,495 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #5,285 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2005 | #3,974 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2004 | #1,564 | 126 | 0.0069% |
| 2003 | #4,456 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2002 | #3,615 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2001 | #5,427 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #5,369 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #6,611 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #6,830 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #7,425 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #10,933 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #7,682 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #5,802 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #9,864 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #6,766 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #6,038 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1990 | #5,363 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #6,275 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #7,297 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #10,914 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #7,507 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #24 | 7,852 | 0.4597% |
| 2024 | #19 | 8,170 | 0.4763% |
| 2023 | #25 | 7,802 | 0.4566% |
| 2022 | #21 | 8,308 | 0.4763% |
| 2021 | #20 | 8,858 | 0.5067% |
| 2020 | #13 | 9,551 | 0.5537% |
| 2019 | #11 | 11,307 | 0.6305% |
| 2018 | #12 | 11,930 | 0.6571% |
| 2017 | #14 | 12,478 | 0.6744% |
| 2016 | #10 | 13,854 | 0.7302% |
| 2015 | #6 | 15,099 | 0.7879% |
| 2014 | #6 | 15,748 | 0.8200% |
| 2013 | #6 | 16,259 | 0.8597% |
| 2012 | #3 | 17,694 | 0.9329% |
| 2011 | #7 | 16,696 | 0.8792% |
| 2010 | #2 | 18,017 | 0.9392% |
| 2009 | #2 | 19,855 | 1.0011% |
| 2008 | #3 | 20,221 | 0.9913% |
| 2007 | #3 | 21,039 | 1.0138% |
| 2006 | #4 | 20,522 | 0.9986% |
| 2005 | #5 | 21,318 | 1.0674% |
| 2004 | #5 | 22,210 | 1.1190% |
| 2003 | #7 | 21,361 | 1.0814% |
| 2002 | #5 | 22,112 | 1.1389% |
| 2001 | #17 | 17,962 | 0.9245% |
| 2000 | #25 | 15,225 | 0.7752% |
| 1999 | #37 | 11,446 | 0.5961% |
| 1998 | #38 | 10,536 | 0.5512% |
| 1997 | #46 | 7,806 | 0.4141% |
| 1996 | #62 | 5,853 | 0.3090% |
| 1995 | #75 | 4,933 | 0.2591% |
| 1994 | #89 | 4,165 | 0.2156% |
| 1993 | #92 | 4,164 | 0.2123% |
| 1992 | #76 | 4,905 | 0.2456% |
| 1991 | #65 | 6,129 | 0.3034% |
| 1990 | #58 | 6,989 | 0.3403% |
| 1989 | #87 | 4,056 | 0.2027% |
| 1988 | #261 | 895 | 0.0468% |
| 1987 | #321 | 656 | 0.0351% |
| 1986 | #332 | 599 | 0.0325% |
| 1985 | #307 | 670 | 0.0363% |
| 1984 | #285 | 729 | 0.0404% |
| 1983 | #280 | 732 | 0.0408% |
| 1982 | #286 | 715 | 0.0394% |
| 1981 | #282 | 735 | 0.0410% |
| 1980 | #290 | 708 | 0.0397% |
| 1979 | #285 | 706 | 0.0410% |
| 1978 | #297 | 629 | 0.0383% |
| 1977 | #291 | 673 | 0.0410% |
| 1976 | #312 | 563 | 0.0359% |
| 1975 | #327 | 542 | 0.0347% |
| 1974 | #334 | 524 | 0.0333% |
| 1973 | #331 | 519 | 0.0333% |
| 1972 | #341 | 513 | 0.0316% |
| 1971 | #421 | 365 | 0.0206% |
| 1970 | #495 | 268 | 0.0144% |
| 1969 | #532 | 218 | 0.0122% |
| 1968 | #581 | 170 | 0.0098% |
| 1967 | #545 | 187 | 0.0107% |
| 1966 | #582 | 169 | 0.0095% |
| 1965 | #564 | 183 | 0.0098% |
| 1964 | #556 | 202 | 0.0101% |
| 1963 | #675 | 135 | 0.0066% |
| 1962 | #675 | 132 | 0.0064% |
| 1961 | #720 | 114 | 0.0054% |
| 1960 | #791 | 94 | 0.0044% |
| 1959 | #832 | 84 | 0.0039% |
| 1958 | #885 | 73 | 0.0034% |
| 1957 | #941 | 65 | 0.0030% |
| 1956 | #948 | 62 | 0.0029% |
| 1955 | #1,038 | 53 | 0.0026% |
| 1954 | #930 | 64 | 0.0031% |
| 1953 | #1,128 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 1952 | #996 | 52 | 0.0027% |
| 1951 | #1,314 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1950 | #1,443 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1949 | #1,355 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1948 | #1,356 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1947 | #1,460 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1946 | #1,364 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1945 | #1,461 | 21 | 0.0016% |
| 1944 | #1,266 | 28 | 0.0021% |
| 1943 | #1,243 | 31 | 0.0022% |
| 1942 | #1,553 | 21 | 0.0015% |
| 1941 | #1,343 | 25 | 0.0020% |
| 1940 | #1,700 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1939 | #1,127 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1938 | #1,539 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1937 | #1,653 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #1,396 | 23 | 0.0022% |
| 1935 | #1,371 | 25 | 0.0024% |
| 1934 | #1,577 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1933 | #1,420 | 23 | 0.0023% |
| 1932 | #1,673 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1931 | #1,406 | 25 | 0.0024% |
| 1930 | #1,713 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1929 | #1,818 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1928 | #1,489 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1927 | #1,446 | 27 | 0.0024% |
| 1926 | #1,413 | 27 | 0.0024% |
| 1925 | #1,955 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1924 | #2,270 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1923 | #1,714 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1922 | #1,446 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1921 | #1,489 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1920 | #1,304 | 31 | 0.0029% |
| 1919 | #1,363 | 28 | 0.0029% |
| 1918 | #1,464 | 25 | 0.0025% |
| 1917 | #1,661 | 20 | 0.0022% |
| 1916 | #1,476 | 23 | 0.0026% |
| 1915 | #1,278 | 27 | 0.0032% |
| 1914 | #1,168 | 25 | 0.0038% |
| 1913 | #1,526 | 13 | 0.0025% |
| 1912 | #1,195 | 16 | 0.0037% |
| 1911 | #1,435 | 7 | 0.0031% |
| 1909 | #1,333 | 6 | 0.0037% |
| 1908 | #1,455 | 5 | 0.0032% |
| 1901 | #985 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1898 | #914 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1896 | #792 | 9 | 0.0075% |
| 1893 | #719 | 9 | 0.0080% |
| 1891 | #885 | 6 | 0.0059% |
| 1887 | #773 | 7 | 0.0069% |
| 1886 | #880 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1884 | #630 | 10 | 0.0087% |
| 1882 | #781 | 7 | 0.0062% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Ethan
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Ethan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Ethan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ethan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.