Ethan first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Ethan has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Ethan

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "enduring, firm, strong".

Popularity of Ethan by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ethan is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Ethan being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 7,763 male babies and 7 female babies born with the name Ethan.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 7 baby girls were named Ethan in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 7,763 7
2022 8,271 9
2021 8,842 12
2020 9,533 9
2019 11,291 13
2018 11,918 12
2017 12,471 9
2016 13,843 14
2015 15,095 18
2014 15,737 19
2013 16,254 17
2012 17,687 22
2011 16,693 22
2010 18,011 19
2009 19,849 24
2008 20,220 36
2007 21,034 17
2006 20,521 26
2005 21,317 36
2004 22,208 126
2003 21,361 29
2002 22,112 37
2001 17,962 21
2000 15,225 21
1999 11,444 15
1998 10,534 14
1997 7,806 12
1996 5,853 7
1995 4,931 11
1994 4,165 16
1993 4,164 8
1992 4,905 13
1991 6,129 15
1990 6,989 17
1989 4,055 13
1988 894 0
1987 656 0
1986 600 9
1985 669 0
1984 731 5
1983 731 8
1982 715 0
1981 735 0
1980 705 0
1979 708 0
1978 630 0
1977 673 0
1976 566 0
1975 542 0
1974 524 0

The history of the first name Ethan

The name Ethan is derived from the Hebrew name Etan, which means "firm", "enduring", or "strong". It is believed to have originated in ancient Israel, and the name can be traced back to biblical times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ethan appears in the Bible, in the First Book of Kings. Ethan the Ezrahite is mentioned as being one of the wisest men of his time, along with Heman, Chalcol, and Darda.

In the Bible's Book of Chronicles, Ethan is also listed as a musician and singer who played the cymbal during the time of King David. This suggests that the name was in use as early as the 10th century BCE.

The name Ethan gained popularity among Jews and later spread to other cultures and languages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of the Hebrew Bible is Ethan Allen, an American Revolutionary War patriot and leader of the Green Mountain Boys. He was born in 1738 and played a crucial role in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775.

Another notable figure named Ethan was Ethan A. Hitchcock, an American Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. He was born in 1798 and is remembered for his efforts in reforming the military's medical services.

In the literary world, Ethan Frome is the titular character of Edith Wharton's 1911 novel, which explores the themes of isolation, fatality, and the consequences of repressed desires. The novel's protagonist, Ethan Frome, is a farmer living in a fictional town in Massachusetts.

Ethan Allen, the American Revolutionary War patriot and leader, was born in 1737 and died in 1789. Ethan A. Hitchcock, the American Army officer, was born in 1798 and died in 1870. While Ethan Frome is a fictional character, the novel by Edith Wharton was published in 1911.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ethan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ethan, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ethan first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 6, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ethan-meaning-and-history/.

"Ethan first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ethan-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 6 December, 2024

Ethan first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/ethan-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.