Name of the Week: Ethan

 

 

Origin:

Ethan is an Israelite name borne by four minor characters in the Old Testament. Psalm 89 is attributed to wise man Ethan the Ezrahite who was a member of King Solomon's court.  The name Ethan derives from the Hebrew אֵיתָן ethan which has two meanings - literal and figurative. Its literal meaning is "ever-flowing" or "steady flow" particularly in reference to rivers. It also has the figurative meaning of "permanent, enduring, perennial, firm."

Usage:

Ethan came into use in small numbers in the 16th century in Britain but it remained uncommon even into the 18th century.  In America, the name was made famous by American Revolutionary figure and general Ethan Allen (1738-1789). He had several American namesakes during his lifetime and afterwards, including Democratic-Republican politician Ethan Allen Brown (1776-1852).  In Britain, on the other hand, it remained in rare use even in the 19th century and early 20th century and was mostly confined to use in England, seeing barely any use in Scotland or Wales.  Births in England and Wales: 1840s: 7 births 1850s: 3 births 1860s: 2 births 1870s: 11 births 1880s: 5 births 1890s: 5 births 1900s: 4 births 1910s: 5 births 1920s: 0 births 1930s: 3 births 1940s: 2 births 1950s: 7 births 1960s: 34 births 1970s: 61 births The name saw a small pick up in usage in the mid-1950 and then rose more significantly in the 1960s and 70s. This followed—and was arguably directly inspired by—American trends. In the US, Ethan broke into the top 1000 in 1901 at #985 but then fell out until it returned at #986 in 1952. From that point on it steadily and progressively rose in popularity, hitting the top 500 in 1970 and jumping from #262 in 1988 to #87 in 1989. As Abby Sandel put's it, "credit the Wild West with the name’s resurgence." 1956 saw the release of John Ford's western The Searchers, based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Alan Le May, set during the Texas–Indian Wars. Considered the greatest American western, it starred John Wayne as Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards, in search of his abducted niece.  Another influence may have been American actor Ethan Laidlaw who starred in television Westerns in the 1950s and 60s.  The big jump in 1989 can also be explained by the debut in 1988 of Guns of Paradise, which focused on main character Ethan Allen Cord, and actor Ethan Hawke's breakout role in Dead Poets Society in 1989.  All this had an impact in Britain, too, though we were further behind the trend. In England and Wales, Ethan first entered the top 100 in 1996 at #92 (604 births). This coincided with the release of the first film in the rebooted Mission: Impossible franchise, featuring Tom Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt.  The name increased in the following years reaching the top 20 in 2002 where it has stayed ever since. It peaked at #11 in 2011.  In 2016, Ethan ranked #19 with 2,722 births in England and Wales.  In Scotland, Ethan jumped from #563 in 1988, to #335 (3 births) in 1989 and then #186 (13 births) in 1990. The next leap came in 1997 when it moved to #121 (42 births) and first broke the top 100 at #86 in 1998. It, too, gradually rose over the following years, reaching a peak of #4 (391 births) in 2011.  In 2017, Ethan ranked #26 (197 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ethan Allen (1738–1789), American revolutionary and general. * Ethan Allen Brown (1776–1852), American politician. * Ethan Laidlaw (1899-1963), American actor. Contemporary: * Ethan Phillips (born 1955), American actor. * Ethan Coen (born 1957), American director and screenwriter. * Ethan Hawke (born 1970), American actor. * Ethan Erickson (born 1973), American actor. * Ethan Moreau (born 1975), Canadian ice hockey player. * Ethan Peck (born 1986), American actor. Literature and Other Media: * Ethan Frome, eponymous character in the 1911 novel by Edith Wharton. * Ethan Hunt, fictional character in the Mission: Impossible films played by Tom Cruise. * Ethan Edwards, fictional character in the 1956 film The Searchers played by John Wayne. * Ethan Scott, character in British soap Hollyoaks 2010-11. * Ethan Rayne, fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. * Ethan Rom, fictional character in the television series Lost. * Ethan Craft, fictional character in the television series Lizzie McGuire.

Variants:

Eitan, Eytan (Hebrew)

Pronunciation:

EE-thən [key]

Possible diminutives:

Eath, Heath

Sibling Names:

Chloe     Scarlett     Freya     Sienna     Keira     Mia  Noah     Dylan    Max     Lucas     Mason     Harvey

Name Lists:

Lively Lads   Popular Biblical

 

If you like Ethan you may also like:   Nathan, Theo, Ryan, Heath, Eben, Evan, Arran, Callum, Logan, Kian

Thanks to Kerry for requesting this name.