Etheridge
A masculine name derived from Old English, potentially meaning "from the rich ridge".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Etheridge. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Etheridge today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Etheridge births was 1920 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Etheridge. 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 Etheridge is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Etheridges were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Etheridge. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1920
15 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1953 SSA rank
#2,989
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Etheridge: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Etheridge from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 58 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
Etheridge 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 Etheridge during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Etheridges live
Origin
Meaning and history of Etheridge
The given name Etheridge has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the 5th to 11th centuries AD. It is believed to be derived from the elements "ead," meaning prosperity or fortune, and "ric," meaning power or rule. The combination of these elements suggests a meaning along the lines of "prosperous ruler" or "fortunate leader."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Etheridge can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This document mentions an individual named Eadric, which is likely a variant spelling of the name Etheridge.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Etheridge was primarily associated with the English nobility and landed gentry. Some notable historical figures who bore this name include Sir Etheridge de Craven (1245-1312), a knight and landowner in Wiltshire, and Lady Etheridge Beaumont (1367-1432), a noblewoman known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
During the Renaissance period, the name Etheridge gained popularity among the intellectual and artistic circles of Europe. One prominent individual was Etheridge Browne (1591-1645), an English poet and playwright who was part of the literary circle surrounding Ben Jonson.
In the 18th century, Etheridge Bunker (1725-1799) was a prominent American merchant and political figure who played a role in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and was later elected to the Massachusetts Senate.
Another notable figure was Etheridge Knight (1931-1991), an African American poet and writer who gained recognition for his works exploring themes of racism, social injustice, and personal struggles. His influential poetry collection, "Poems from Prison," was published in 1968.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the given name Etheridge, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Etheridge + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Etheridge 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
Etheridge: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Etheridge?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Etheridge 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Etheridge a common name?
We classify Etheridge as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Etheridge most popular?
The single biggest year for Etheridge was 1920, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Etheridge is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Etheridge in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Etheridge a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Etheridge in the SSA data are male. 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 Etheridge still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Etheridge 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 Etheridge 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Etheridge?
Find out how many people share the name Etheridge on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.