Ethan Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Boy Names Like Ethan

Ethan Name Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: ee-th(an)
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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.

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
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
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
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
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

Share Your Thoughts

46 Comments

Natalie Apr 18 at 3:12 pm

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.

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Ethan Nov 16 at 3:47 am

723.297.209.3

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Becky Nov 6 at 6:51 am

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

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Remmy Apr 20 at 1:00 am

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

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mother fluffer Apr 19 at 9:40 am

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

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- Ethan Nov 16 at 3:47 am
  
  try me.
  
  Reply
  - Ethan Dec 5 at 11:22 am
    
    Try me
    
    Reply
Amber killer Apr 19 at 9:38 am

Amber, you better watch out

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Amber Mar 19 at 12:06 pm

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.

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Irene Sep 7 at 9:56 am

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.

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Shixx Jul 2 at 10:38 pm

Dream come true!

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Kelli Jun 24 at 11:51 am

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.

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Chrissy May 11 at 1:04 pm

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!!

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Ethan Feb 19 at 11:18 am

That’s me!

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Ethan Feb 19 at 11:16 am

I like this name!

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- Ethan Dec 5 at 11:24 am
  
  I don’t
  
  Reply
Kaley Jan 28 at 1:36 pm

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

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Ashley Nov 12 at 10:41 am

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.

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- Ethan Nov 17 at 10:36 am
  
  Hi
  
  Reply
Mama Catherine Aug 25 at 5:59 am

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

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- Ethan baartman Nov 17 at 10:37 am
  
  Hallo!!!!!!
  
  Reply
Leslie Jul 31 at 9:06 am

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

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Ciara Jun 13 at 1:40 pm

Ethan Brylle is the name i like

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Caroline Jun 9 at 6:46 pm

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.

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Sharon Baillie May 23 at 8:05 am

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!

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Victoria May 9 at 9:51 am

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.

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LeAnn Apr 12 at 9:43 am

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!

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Ethan Mar 20 at 1:43 pm

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

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Elizabeth Jones Feb 28 at 11:12 pm

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” ?

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Amanda Oct 16 at 11:43 am

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.

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Brittany De Long Sep 7 at 11:40 am

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.

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- Elizabeth Jones Feb 28 at 11:18 pm
  
  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!
  
  Reply
Naa Adjeley Aug 27 at 8:27 am

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.

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Brooke May 13 at 12:23 pm

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. ?

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Whitney Mar 22 at 9:06 pm

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

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Mahagonei Nov 28 at 3:35 pm

Ethan came from the Bible it says that firm,strong

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Ethan Ezekiel Mendiola Nov 15 at 11:27 am

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

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Kayleigh Nov 12 at 10:39 am

Love love love

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Federica Oct 31 at 9:52 am

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.

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Alyssa Oct 16 at 12:40 pm

Love

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Alyssa Jun 23 at 10:58 am

I choose Ethan because it means strong !

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

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Jessica Jun 15 at 7:49 am

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 🙂

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Paola Jun 11 at 5:47 pm

We just loved the name

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Ethan Jun 7 at 4:32 pm

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!

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Rachel Jun 7 at 12:02 pm

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?

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Leah Jun 5 at 2:07 pm

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

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Ethan