Rethel
Of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly associated with the town Rethel in France.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Rethel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rethel today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rethel births was 1920 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rethel. 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 Rethel is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rethels were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rethel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1920
9 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1956 SSA rank
#6,693
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Rethel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rethel 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 44 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
Rethel 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 Rethel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rethels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rethel
The given name Rethel is believed to have originated from the French city of Rethel, which is located in the northern region of France. The name's roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, specifically the 12th century.
During this period, the city of Rethel played a significant role in the Champagne region of France. It was the capital of a small but influential county, and the name Rethel was likely derived from the name of the city itself.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rethel can be found in historical records from the 13th century, where it was used as a surname for individuals hailing from the city of Rethel. Over time, the name transitioned from being a locational surname to a given name.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Rethel, there are a few notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Hugues de Rethel, who lived in the 13th century and was the Count of Rethel from 1227 to 1242.
Another prominent figure was Jean de Rethel, a French nobleman who lived in the 15th century and served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War. His birth and death years are uncertain, but he was active in the mid-1400s.
In the realm of literature, Rethel appears in the 16th-century work "Les Tragiques" by Théodore Agrippa d'Aubigné, a French poet and soldier. The exact context in which the name is mentioned is unclear, but its inclusion in such a renowned literary work highlights its historical significance.
Moving forward in time, there is a record of a Rethel Gaspard, a French artist and engraver who lived from 1759 to 1842. He was known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted historical and biblical scenes.
Finally, in the 19th century, there was a French politician named Rethel Armand, who served as a member of the National Assembly during the French Third Republic. His birth and death years are uncertain, but he was active in the latter half of the 1800s.
While the name Rethel may not be as common today, its historical roots and associations with notable individuals from various walks of life demonstrate its enduring legacy and significance within the French cultural and linguistic heritage.
People
Rethel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rethel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rethel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rethel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rethel 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Rethel a common name?
We classify Rethel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 88 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rethel most popular?
The single biggest year for Rethel was 1920, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rethel 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 Rethel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rethel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rethel 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 Rethel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rethel 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 Rethel 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 have the name Rethel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.