Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1926

Earnest

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #4,164 Trend ↓ Falling 26%

A male given name from the Germanic languages, of occasional usage, variant of Ernest.

Rank 2025
#4,164
among boys · ↑1,336 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
25
named Earnest
How common
1 in 68,323
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1926
1,159 babies
All-time total
59,115
#457 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Earnest popularity over time

59,115 babies have been named Earnest since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 1,043 1,043 104 – #113
1890s 5 1,390 1,395 140 +34% #114
1900s – 1,907 1,907 191 +37% #106
1910s 52 6,856 6,908 691 +262% #125
1920s 145 10,869 11,014 1,101 +59% #138
1930s 132 8,722 8,854 885 -20% #153
1940s 140 8,706 8,846 885 0% #177
1950s 137 7,310 7,447 745 -16% #213
1960s 77 4,515 4,592 459 -38% #320
1970s 33 2,961 2,994 299 -35% #417
1980s 5 1,995 2,000 200 -33% #535
1990s – 1,053 1,053 105 -47% #849
2000s – 559 559 56 -47% #1,684
2010s – 364 364 36 -35% #2,387
2020s (to 2025) – 139 139 23 -36% #3,748

Where Earnest is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 24 0.01 outside top 500
2027 23 0.01 outside top 500
2028 22 0.01 outside top 500
2029 21 0.01 outside top 500
2030 21 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Earnest

Earnest is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,164 in 2025 with 25 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 59,115 American babies have been named Earnest. Its peak came in 1926, when 1,159 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Earnest stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Earnest?

The median living Earnest is about 66 years old; half are between 52 and 77. An estimated 22 thousand people named Earnest are alive in the United States today.

median 66 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Earnest year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 25 #4,164
2024 – – 17 #5,500
2023 – – 24 #4,377
2022 – – 24 #4,340
2021 – – 21 #4,675
2020 – – 28 #3,748
2019 – – 27 #3,921
2018 – – 40 #2,963
2017 – – 32 #3,466
2016 – – 24 #4,230
2015 – – 33 #3,386
2014 – – 37 #3,052
2013 – – 31 #3,436
2012 – – 50 #2,503
2011 – – 53 #2,387
2010 – – 37 #3,091
2009 – – 44 #2,769
2008 – – 51 #2,481
2007 – – 50 #2,512
2006 – – 59 #2,191
2005 – – 49 #2,380
2004 – – 56 #2,108
2003 – – 50 #2,187
2002 – – 63 #1,823
2001 – – 69 #1,684
2000 – – 68 #1,687
1995 – – 92 #1,209
1990 – – 145 #849
1985 – – 178 #659
1980 5 #10,824 251 #541
1975 6 #8,278 285 #473
1970 9 #5,506 383 #417
1965 12 #3,798 443 #366
1960 17 #3,019 592 #320
1955 10 #3,859 696 #269
1950 18 #2,369 888 #213
1945 20 #1,895 807 #188
1940 12 #2,457 797 #184
1935 16 #2,024 881 #163
1930 11 #2,732 991 #153
1925 15 #2,407 1,103 #148
1920 10 #3,165 1,092 #140
1915 – – 824 #143
1910 – – 255 #128
1905 – – 172 #124
1900 – – 223 #106
1895 – – 143 #118
1890 – – 122 #120
1885 – – 120 #113
1880 – – 88 #154

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Earnest, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Earnest?

The median living Earnest is about 66 years old. Half of all living Earnests are between 52 and 77 years old.

How many people named Earnest are alive today?

An estimated 22 thousand people named Earnest are alive in the United States, based on 59,115 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Earnest mean?

A male given name from the Germanic languages, of occasional usage, variant of Ernest.

How popular is the name Earnest in 2025?

Earnest ranked #4,164 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 25 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Earnest?

59,115 babies have been named Earnest in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Earnest most popular?

Earnest peaked in 1926, when 1,159 newborns received the name.

Is Earnest a boy or girl name?

Earnest is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Earnest rising or falling?

Earnest is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Earnest become more popular?

Earnest is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 21 boys named Earnest in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Earnest

Names that sound and feel close to Earnest: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Earnest with similar names → More names starting with E →