Boys' name · peaked in 2002
Ethan name popularity since 1925
487,763 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Ethan. Half of them were born in 2007 or earlier, so the typical Ethan is about 19 years old in 2026. Ethan peaked in 2002 as the #5 name for boys, and it ranked #24 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 487,763
- Named Ethan, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #24
- for boys in 2025 (7,852 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.8% boys
- 755 girls · 487,008 boys
- Most popular in
- Nevada
- 1.99× its national share
Peak year is the year Ethan made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Ethan births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 2004. Measured as a share of all babies, Ethan peaked in 2002.
- Fastest rise: Between 1985 and 1990, Ethan became 9.4× more common, from 1 in 2,760 baby boys to 1 in 294.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Ethan's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Ethan.
Decade by decade
Babies named Ethan in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 114 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 225 | #1,371 |
| 1940s | 0 | 254 | #1,461 |
| 1950s | 0 | 553 | #1,038 |
| 1960s | 0 | 1,601 | #564 |
| 1970s | 0 | 5,301 | #327 |
| 1980s | 35 | 10,490 | #307 |
| 1990s | 128 | 66,930 | #75 |
| 2000s | 373 | 201,835 | #5 |
| 2010s | 165 | 149,111 | #6 |
| 2020–25 | 54 | 50,594 | #24 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
58.3% of babies named Ethan from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Z years (1997–2012). The full split by generation:
Where Ethan is most popular
The index compares Ethan's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Ethan.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 1.99× | 3,490 |
| Alaska | 1.71× | 1,246 |
| Utah | 1.68× | 7,002 |
| Arizona | 1.46× | 9,266 |
| New Hampshire | 1.41× | 2,179 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Ethan and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Ethan (this page) | 487,008 | 2002 |
| Ethen | 3,852 | 2009 |
| Ethyn | 1,541 | 2010 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Ethan's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Ethan.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Ethan (2002).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data