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Boy's name · #24 in the US (2025) · 2000s wave
Ethan reached its best rank, #2, in 2009 and remains near the top at #24 today. In just three years its births jumped from about 660 in 1987 to 7,000 in 1990. The surge coincided with Paradise, featuring Ethan Allen Cord, arriving on television in 1988 and Ethan Hawke’s breakthrough in Dead Poets Society in 1989.
Actor John Wayne named his son Ethan, born in 1962, after Ethan Edwards, his character in The Searchers.
See where Ethan is more common.
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
Ethan is especially popular in Philippines and Puerto Rico.
#7 in Philippines (2024) · #9 in Puerto Rico (2025) · #23 in Ecuador (2025) · #30 in France (2025) · #32 in New Zealand (2025) · #33 in N. Ireland (2025) · #34 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #49 in Australia (NSW) (2025) · #51 in Ireland (2025) · #54 in England & Wales (2025) · #55 in Scotland (2025) · #78 in Australia (QLD) (2025) and 9 more.
Among 676 notable people named Ethan:
Sports figures appear 2.63× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ethan Ampadu, Welsh association football player.
Popular twin pairings with Ethan include Evan, Aiden, and Nathan for boys, and Emma, Emily, and Ella for girls.
Similar names: Eithan · Caleb · Isaiah · Nathan · Evan · Elijah
Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.