Ithel
Of uncertain origin, possibly related to Hebrew meaning "God arrives".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Ithel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ithel today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ithel births was 1925 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ithel. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ithel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1925
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#4,553
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Ithel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ithel 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 Ithel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ithel
The given name Ithel is believed to have its roots in the Welsh language, originating from the old Welsh word "ithel," which means "generous" or "bountiful." This name has been in use for centuries, primarily among Welsh communities and those with Celtic cultural influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ithel can be found in the ancient Welsh genealogies and historical texts, such as the "Harleian Genealogies" and the "Annales Cambriae." These sources mention individuals bearing the name Ithel as early as the 6th century AD, indicating its long-standing presence in Welsh culture.
Ithel gained particular prominence during the Middle Ages, when it was associated with several notable figures in Welsh history. One such figure was Ithel ap Robert, a 12th-century Welsh prince and military leader who played a crucial role in the Welsh resistance against Norman invaders. Another notable bearer of the name was Ithel Anwyl, a 14th-century Welsh poet and bard renowned for his poetic works celebrating Welsh culture and tradition.
In the religious sphere, the name Ithel has been linked to various figures in Christian tradition. Saint Ithel, a 6th-century Welsh saint and abbot, is venerated in parts of Wales, and his name has been associated with several churches and religious sites in the region.
Throughout history, the name Ithel has been carried by various individuals from different walks of life. Ithel Davies (1597-1652) was a Welsh clergyman and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Welsh history and literature. Ithel Higgon (1687-1738) was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest known for his poetic works in both Welsh and English. Ithel ap Rhys (fl. c. 1400) was a 15th-century Welsh poet and bard whose works celebrated the heroic deeds of Welsh princes and leaders.
In more recent times, the name Ithel has continued to be used, though less commonly than in previous centuries. Ithel Colquhoun (1887-1954) was a Welsh artist and painter known for his landscape and portrait works depicting Welsh rural life. Ithel Davies (1909-1985) was a Welsh novelist and short story writer who wrote extensively about the experiences of Welsh communities in the early 20th century.
People
Ithel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ithel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ithel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ithel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ithel 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 - US residents.
Is Ithel a common name?
We classify Ithel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ithel most popular?
The single biggest year for Ithel was 1925, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ithel is about 0 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 Ithel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ithel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ithel 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 Ithel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ithel 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 Ithel 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 Ithel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.