| Noah | Ethan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rest, comfort | Strong, enduring |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NOH-uh | EE-thun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1882 |
| Peak year | 2024 (20,409) | 2004 (22,210) |
| In 2025 | 20,358 | 7,852 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Noah | Ethan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 116,024 | 50,594 |
| 2010s | 183,378 | 149,111 |
| 2000s | 143,533 | 201,835 |
| 1990s | 56,269 | 66,930 |
| 1980s | 12,385 | 10,490 |
| 1970s | 5,688 | 5,301 |
| 1960s | 1,519 | 1,601 |
| 1950s | 1,456 | 553 |
| 1940s | 1,523 | 254 |
| 1930s | 1,606 | 225 |
| 1920s | 2,284 | 233 |
| 1910s | 1,734 | 184 |
| 1900s | 622 | 17 |
| 1890s | 686 | 31 |
| 1880s | 895 | 30 |
Noah comes from the Hebrew Noach, usually given as “rest” or “comfort.” In the Bible he built the ark and survived the great flood; the name tops the charts for boys today.
Ethan comes from the Hebrew for “firm, enduring, strong.” In the Bible, Ethan the Ezrahite was noted for his wisdom.
Noah is more popular than Ethan today: about 20,358 US babies were given the name Noah in 2025, compared with 7,852 named Ethan.
Noah means Rest, comfort (Hebrew origin), while Ethan means Strong, enduring (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Noah first appears in 1880 and Ethan in 1882, so Noah has the longer recorded history.