Ethel
Meaning of Ethel
The name Ethel is of Old English origin, derived from the element "æðel," meaning "noble." It was particularly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often associated with a sense of classic elegance and vintage charm. Ethel has been borne by several notable figures, including American actress Ethel Barrymore and British suffragette Ethel Smyth. Despite its decline in popularity over the decades, recent years have seen a modest resurgence as parents seek out unique and historically rich names for their daughters. Pronounced as ETH-uhl (/ˈɛθəl/), this timeless name evokes a sense of dignity and grace. Variations of the name include Ethyl, though it remains less common.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as ETH-uhl (/ˈɛθəl/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Ethel
| Ethel Merman was a renowned American actress and singer, celebrated for her powerful voice and leading roles in iconic Broadway musicals such as Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, and Hello, Dolly! |
| Ethel Waters was a pioneering American singer and actress known for her performances in jazz, swing, and pop music, as well as her groundbreaking achievements in film and television. |
| Dame Ethel Mary Smyth was an English composer and prominent member of the women's suffrage movement, known for her diverse compositions including songs, piano works, chamber music, orchestral works, choral works, and operas. |
| Ethel Kennedy is an American human rights advocate, known for founding the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. |
| Ethel Leginska - Ethel Liggins was a renowned British pianist, conductor, and composer, often referred to as the ‘Paderewski of woman pianists’ and recognized as one of the pioneering female conductors. |
| Ethel Colburn Mayne was a versatile Irish writer known for her novels, short stories, biographies, literary critiques, journalism, and translations. |
| Ethel Robinson Lawrence was a civil rights activist known as the "Rosa Parks of affordable housing" for her pivotal role in the Mount Laurel litigation, leading to the New Jersey Fair Housing Act and the Mount Laurel doctrine. |
| Ethel Byrne was an American Progressive Era radical feminist who assisted her sister Margaret Sanger in birth control activism. |
| Ethel Reed Maynard was the first black woman to serve in the Arizona Legislature and was known for her work as an American politician, activist, and registered nurse. |
| Ethel Carow Derby, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, was known for preserving her father's legacy and the family home "Sagamore Hill." |
| Ethel Mary Partridge, also known as Ethel Mary Mairet RDI or Ethel Mary Coomaraswamy, was a prominent British hand loom weaver who made significant contributions to the craft in the early 20th century. |
| Ethel Grimwood - Ethel St Clair Grimwood, also known as Ethel Miller, was a British woman who played a heroic role during the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, guiding a retreating party after the murder of her husband and was awarded a medal for her bravery. |
| Ethel Lina White, a British crime writer from Wales, gained fame for her novel The Wheel Spins, which inspired the Alfred Hitchcock film The Lady Vanishes. |
| Ethel Griffies was an English actress known for her roles in stage, screen, and television, including her memorable portrayal of Mrs. Bundy in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). |
| Ethel Rebecca Benjamin, New Zealand's first female lawyer, made history as the second woman in the British Empire to be admitted as a barrister and solicitor. |
