Ethan Name Meaning

A subtle Biblical character with an endearing meaning, Ethan is a relative newcomer to the U.S. baby name scene. Derived from the Hebrew name Eitan, Ethan means “enduring and strong.”

Ethan’s meaning is also true of his history, originally appearing in ancient Hebrew times where he made a few brief appearances in the Bible. His popularity always waned in the U.S. before spiking suddenly in the early 2000s. He continues to ride the wave of his popularity, charming parents with his trendy vowel start like Ian and Owen and -an ending seen in Logan and Dylan.

Ethan has a maturity to him that’s hard to recreate yet he’s right at home as a curious little boy. He ages well and across occupations, readily suiting a poet and a surgeon alike. Ethan is decidedly posh, more in-step with the likes of Preston and Parker than Riley or Joey. This doesn’t mean he’s stuffy, however, merely a stylish choice for the modern parent. He’s also not a strongman despite his meaning, remaining gentle and approachable unlike Hunter and Gunner.

Regardless of where he ends up on the charts, Ethan will likely never come across as trendy, as his rise to popularity was slow and steady before spiking and quickly dropping off. He didn’t rule the charts for a number of years before disappearing into obscurity, giving him enough longevity to remain a chart darling that won’t seem dated.

Infographic of Ethan name meaning, which is A Hebrew name meaning enduring and strong, Ethan comes from the Hebrew name Eitan.
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Ethan Name Popularity

How popular is the name Ethan? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 0 0%
1911 0 0%
1912 0 0%
1913 0 0%
1914 0 0%
1915 0 0%
1916 0 0%
1917 0 0%
1918 0 0%
1919 0 0%
1920 1,480 5 0.0004%
1921 1,651 5 0.0004%
1922 0 0%
1923 0 0%
1924 0 0%
1925 0 0%
1926 0 0%
1927 0 0%
1928 0 0%
1929 0 0%
1930 1,403 6 0.0006%
1931 0 0%
1932 0 0%
1933 0 0%
1934 0 0%
1935 0 0%
1936 0 0%
1937 0 0%
1938 1,404 5 0.0005%
1939 0 0%
1940 1,255 6 0.0006%
1941 1,312 5 0.0004%
1942 1,286 6 0.0005%
1943 1,078 12 0.0009%
1944 1,326 5 0.0004%
1945 0 0%
1946 1,140 10 0.0007%
1947 1,224 10 0.0006%
1948 1,097 13 0.0008%
1949 0 0%
1950 1,434 5 0.0003%
1951 1,496 5 0.0003%
1952 1,158 12 0.0007%
1953 1,193 11 0.0006%
1954 916 28 0.0015%
1955 1,134 14 0.0008%
1956 956 26 0.0014%
1957 1,089 17 0.0009%
1958 906 31 0.0016%
1959 845 41 0.0022%
1960 815 47 0.0025%
1961 766 57 0.003%
1962 687 81 0.0044%
1963 706 76 0.0042%
1964 607 122 0.0069%
1965 609 111 0.0068%
1966 618 103 0.0066%
1967 582 124 0.0082%
1968 598 117 0.0078%
1969 561 150 0.0097%
1970 492 223 0.014%
1971 427 317 0.0211%
1972 341 472 0.0347%
1973 335 471 0.0363%
1974 337 471 0.0362%
1975 326 510 0.0397%
1976 308 539 0.0418%
1977 290 645 0.0479%
1978 295 605 0.045%
1979 286 678 0.0481%
1980 292 675 0.0462%
1981 279 709 0.0482%
1982 283 692 0.0463%
1983 281 693 0.047%
1984 285 697 0.0469%
1985 305 634 0.0418%
1986 332 556 0.0368%
1987 322 613 0.0402%
1988 257 879 0.0564%
1989 87 4,054 0.2512%
1990 58 6,990 0.4217%
1991 65 6,127 0.3759%
1992 76 4,905 0.3073%
1993 92 4,160 0.2668%
1994 88 4,161 0.2711%
1995 75 4,931 0.3272%
1996 62 5,852 0.3908%
1997 46 7,806 0.5278%
1998 38 10,533 0.7037%
1999 37 11,442 0.764%
2000 25 15,223 0.9965%
2001 17 17,962 1.1921%
2002 5 22,108 1.4753%
2003 7 21,356 1.4038%
2004 5 22,204 1.4568%
2005 5 21,309 1.3937%
2006 4 20,511 1.3099%
2007 3 21,027 1.3327%
2008 3 20,211 1.3077%
2009 2 19,843 1.3276%
2010 2 18,000 1.2491%
2011 7 16,681 1.1708%
2012 3 17,668 1.2399%
2013 6 16,235 1.1403%
2014 6 15,713 1.0785%
2015 6 15,069 1.0357%
2016 10 13,806 0.9575%
2017 14 12,389 0.8877%
2018 12 11,854 0.8628%
2019 10 11,241 0.8304%
2020 13 9,322 0.7324%
2021 20 8,804 0.7202%
2022 21 8,148 0.6176%

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Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Ethan

If you like Ethan, you’ll love these other names like Ethan.


What names are diminutives of Ethan?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Ethan sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Ethan, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Eth

Fire

Irish


What names are variants of Ethan?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Ethan.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Aitan

Firmness, long-lived

Hebrew

Eitan

Firmness, long-lived

Hebrew

Etan

Firmness, long-lived

Hebrew

Ethen

Firmness, long-lived

Hebrew


What names sound like Ethan?

If you like how Ethan sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Ethan.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Athan

Eternal life

Greek

Edan

Fire

Scottish

Eidan

Fire

Gaelic

Eton

Island settlement

English

Evan

God is gracious

Welsh

Ian

God is gracious

Scottish


What names are similar to Ethan?

Find a name that’s like Ethan, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Caleb

Whole heart

Hebrew

Daniel

God is My Judge

Hebrew

Isaiah

God is salvation

Hebrew

Jacob

Supplanter

Hebrew

Joseph

Jehovah will increase

Hebrew

Micah

Who is Like God?

Hebrew

Michael

Who is Like God?

Hebrew

Silas

Man of the forest

Latin

Theodore

God's gift

Greek

Thomas

Twin

Greek


Lists With Ethan

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Ethan.


Siblings of Ethan

Mamas with kids named Ethan also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Evelyn

Desired one

English

Caleb

Whole heart

Hebrew

Ely

High

Hebrew

Elisha

Noble, exalted

German

Erik

Everlasting ruler

Scandinavian

Jaci

American

Dexter

Right-handed, fortunate; one who dyes

Latin

Clark

Cleric

English

Lorelei

“The enchantress,” in allusion to the siren of German legend whose singing on reefs in the Rhine lured sailors to their doom.

German

Harley

Hare meadow

English

Elianna

God has answered

Hebrew

Elijah

My God is Yahweh

Hebrew

Dylan

Great tide

Welsh

Lennon

Dear one

Irish

Jade

Precious stone

English

Ezra

Help

Hebrew

49 Comments

  1. I just love it

  2. We decided to choose a name we both loved that is easy to pronounce (short) in both English and Spanish. We love that the name Ethan has Biblical roots, is a strong name, and goes well with his chosen middle name and our last name.

  3. We wanted a christian name that is not outdated as is in touch/sync with the modern first names of these world.

  4. We chose Ethan because it’s biblical. All of our other kids have biblical names that start with the letter E. Plus, it sounded good paired with the rest of his name.

  5. 723.297.209.3

  6. We chose Ethan because it was a real name with a strong meaning. Steadfast in Truth. We need more truth in this world!

  7. It is such a sweet and simple name
    People named Ethan are mostly handsome, strong, loving, very active and intelligent.
    Ethan are great worshipers of God

  8. the next ethan i meet i will mercilessly murder with my 19 inch blade

    • try me.

      • Try me

  9. Amber, you better watch out

  10. Ethan’s whole name is Ethan Ari Steven. My mom picked Ethan, husband and I chose Ari (means lion in Hebrew) and Steven is my husband’s dad’s name.
    I hate that Ethan is such a common name, but I love how classic it is.

  11. We chose this name because it’s a Biblical name which means Strong and the Biblical character was a singer and known for his wisdom.

  12. Ethan has been a strong little guy from the beginning, but we were struggling on which name to pick before he was born. After difficult birth, where he did extremely well, we chose the name Ethan because he has shown his strength already.

  13. My husband and I could only agree on this name from our lists but it suits our 9 lb six oz miracle! His name means “strong,” “safe,” “solid,” and “firm.” These are characteristics seen in Ethan, “the Ezrahite,” from the Bible. He is also viewed as being wise. We had two miscarriages before Ethan and he is our second child. We did not think we were going to have him, took us 8 years to get pregnant the first time and seven with Ethan. I suffer from PCOS and pregnancy is difficult to achieve. I was once told I had 3 chances a year to get pregnant and other women had 13! I am over the moon in love with this child and I am loving round two!!

  14. That’s me!

  15. I like this name!

    • I don’t

  16. I loved that it meant Strong and Ethan is a very strong little boy! Ethan is a fighter who is happy and loving and Caring! I love that it can be used with just about any middle name and sound cute as well

  17. I think Ethan is a handsome name. I heard it listening to my bible. It means strong and long lived. After 3 miscarriages, my Ethan is strong.

    • Hi

  18. I came up with the name because it means strong and courageous

    • Hallo!!!!!!

  19. We picked Ethan because we loved the name when we heard it at the pool.

  20. Ethan Brylle is the name i like

  21. I chose that name because I liked the meaning and my husband wanted to have his second name be Elliott since his name is Elio. Ethan Elliott in Hebrew means firm, enduring, strong and long-lived and the Lord is my God.

  22. We delayed choosing a name for awhile. My husband could think of any negative pop culture, literary, or historical reference imaginable. One night, out of the blue, he asked what I thought of the name Ethan, because he was so impressed by Ethan Hawk’s recent performance in Good Lord Bird. I chose Jay for a middle name, because it flows well, and EJ has cute nickname potential. I love the meaning: strong, enduring, and long-lived. He’s already proven to be a strong lil dude!

  23. We just liked the name. We heard it in a book/tv series. I like the simplicity of it. It’s short and sweet. And we wanted a short first name since we have a longer last name.

  24. I originally picked it because it was the first pregnancy after 3 miscarriages that endured. Hence the name meaning: firm, enduring, strong… He was also my first natural birth. I have two other children. First by emergency C-section and the second was scheduled C-section. For this one I decided to do a home birth and it was literally a way better experience than the two previous births. He proved his name though because he actually came out sideways and his shoulders split me pretty bad (4th degree labial tear and 2nd degree perineal tear) … Strong and firm for sure!

  25. Ethan was chosen because of the definition in the bible means strong, firm and my baby was 1pound 6 ounces

  26. We chose the name Ethan because my husband’s parents had a pregnancy loss right after finding out the gender, that baby boy was named Ethan.

    We like the name because we think it sounds good as a kid and adult name. It is not trendy, but not your typical “classic” name like John.

    We do not like the lack of natural nicknames. So far he’s “Eefy” “little e” or “Ethan Wheat Thin” ?

  27. We loved that it was a strong name for a man but also is cute and works for a little boy. When we saw him we thought he looked like an Ethan and it just felt right saying we’re Ethan’s parents.

  28. Ethan is named after a friend of my husbands from high school who passed away. Our babies middle name is Anthony after a friend from my husbands church back home who has become like a father in our lives. He also officiated our wedding. We wanted to honor both of them in this way.

    • My Ethan was suggested to be an Ethan Anthony by my mom! He is Ethan Mark instead, but how funny that we almost had double name twins!

  29. We chose Ethan because the name is biblical and means strong. My husband and I love the fact that he wrote psalm 89 and since we are both into music, loved the name. Our baby Ethan is living up to his name and we thank God for that.

  30. Our oldest son is named Ethan,his name came from the book Beautiful Creatures that I read while pregnant with him in 2014 ? there aren’t many Ethans where I live,the only ones I know of in our small town are all my age or older so he’s pretty unique with his name along with his baby brother Dexter. Both boys are so special and have so much personality. Ethan is a big fan of aliens,mainly the 1953 movie war of the worlds. He’s a wonderful little boy and a fantastic big brother. ?

  31. After finding out I was pregnant me and my husband was setting in bed one night trying.to pick out names if it was a girl the name would be Isabella and when we came across the name Ethan for a boy we just knew that was the one and we chose the middle.name Isaiah from the bible couse were both religious and because we meet and fell in Love in church

  32. Ethan came from the Bible it says that firm,strong

  33. I loved the name found it on Pinterest, it just warmed up my heart to see it… meant in Hebrew stable long lived.

  34. Love love love

  35. Great, strong name! But while I didn’t hear it much when he was born, no it’s MUCH more common than I’d like! Every time I go to a park, there’s always another Ethan.

  36. Love

  37. I choose Ethan because it means strong !

    I love the name Ethan I don’t dislike anything about the name

  38. My husband and I researched baby names for some time, and Ethan means “strong and firm.” We loved this meaning, and really thought about it in a Biblical context of faith. He really lives up to his name, even in the stubborn sense, but we love that about him too 🙂

  39. We just loved the name

  40. Our son’s name is Ethan. We love it with our last name! It sounds so good. I love that there isn’t any nicknames associated with it. I had a lot of nicknames growing up and it was confusing for people to know what to call me. I also like that it’s classic and 5 letters!

  41. Ethan was chosen by my husband and I after a lot of debating between that and the name Caleb. My who extended family was at dinner one night and they decided to take a vote. My daughter and I were the only ones who chose Caleb. All of the others chose Ethan. Since I liked them both, I went long with it and that’s his official name?

  42. We both just loved the sound of it, and I don’t have any students with that name.


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