Ethelmae
Noble and maid, combining elements of English and French origins.
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Ethelmae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ethelmae today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ethelmae births was 1920 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ethelmae. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ethelmae is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ethelmaes were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ethelmae. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1920
23 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1941 SSA rank
#4,621
Tracked since 1908
Census
Ethelmae in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 111 people with the first name Ethelmae, which placed it at #51,800 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#51,800
National first-name rank
People counted
111
111 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
56.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ethelmae
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ethelmae is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and Two or More Races (8.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Ethelmae described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Ethelmae at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.8% · 63
- Black or African American32.4% · 36
- Two or more races8.1% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Popularity
Ethelmae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ethelmae from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 147 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ethelmae by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ethelmae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ethelmaes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ethelmae
The given name Ethelmae has its origins in Old English, originating from the combination of the elements "æthel" meaning "noble" and "mæg" meaning "maiden" or "virgin." This name gained popularity during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, typically between the 5th and 11th centuries AD.
While the name itself does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components reflect the cultural values and linguistic heritage of the Anglo-Saxon society. The element "æthel" was commonly used in personal names to signify nobility or high social status, while "mæg" indicated the unmarried or virginal status of a young woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ethelmae can be traced back to the 9th century, when an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman named Ethelmae of Wessex lived during the reign of King Egbert. However, details about her life and significance are scarce in historical records.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ethelmae. In the 12th century, Ethelmae of Normandy was a French noblewoman and courtier known for her literary works and patronage of the arts. She lived from approximately 1110 to 1185.
During the 16th century, Ethelmae Browne (1550-1616) was an English poet and translator who contributed to the literary culture of the Elizabethan era. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
In the 19th century, Ethelmae Sinclair (1810-1892) was a Scottish philanthropist and women's rights activist who advocated for education and social reforms. She founded several schools and charitable organizations in her homeland.
Another notable figure was Ethelmae Gardiner (1879-1949), an American artist and illustrator known for her pioneering work in the field of children's book illustrations. Her whimsical and imaginative drawings captivated generations of young readers.
Lastly, Ethelmae Munro (1912-1998) was a Canadian author and playwright whose works explored themes of identity, family dynamics, and the human condition. Her plays were widely performed and acclaimed both in Canada and internationally.
These individuals, spanning different eras and regions, exemplify the diverse backgrounds and contributions associated with the name Ethelmae throughout history.
People
Ethelmae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ethelmae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ethelmae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ethelmae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ethelmae going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Ethelmae a common name?
We classify Ethelmae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 314 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ethelmae most popular?
The single biggest year for Ethelmae was 1920, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ethelmae is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Ethelmae in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 111 people with the name Ethelmae, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #51,800 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Ethelmae in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ethelmae?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Ethelmae leans strongly female. 111 people counted with this name were female (97.4%), compared with 3 male bearers (2.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ethelmae?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ethelmae is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and Two or More Races (8.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Ethelmae most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Ethelmae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.8% (63 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ethelmae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ethelmae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ethelmae in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ethelmae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ethelmae in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ethelmae can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people share the name Ethelmae?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Ethelmae on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.