boys' name ★ peaked 2003

Ernesto

Meaning A male given name from Spanish Gender Boy Rank 2025 #878 Trend ↓ Falling 10%

A male given name from Spanish.

Rank 2025
#878
among boys · ↑13 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
272
named Ernesto · +3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 6,280
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2003
854 babies
All-time total
44,816
#541 all-time among boys
First recorded
1889
in Social Security records

Ernesto popularity over time

44,816 babies have been named Ernesto since 1889, 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 6 6 1 – #910
1890s – 5 5 1 -17% #1,096
1900s – 59 59 6 +1080% #650
1910s – 451 451 45 +664% #619
1920s – 1,212 1,212 121 +169% #487
1930s – 1,326 1,326 133 +9% #457
1940s – 1,794 1,794 179 +35% #421
1950s – 2,861 2,861 286 +59% #405
1960s 11 3,604 3,615 362 +26% #385
1970s 35 5,079 5,114 511 +41% #316
1980s 41 6,655 6,696 670 +31% #291
1990s 29 8,111 8,140 814 +22% #310
2000s 5 7,802 7,807 781 -4% #324
2010s – 4,093 4,093 409 -48% #491
2020s (to 2025) – 1,637 1,637 273 -33% #792

Where Ernesto 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 268 0.16 outside top 500
2027 264 0.15 outside top 500
2028 261 0.15 outside top 500
2029 259 0.15 outside top 500
2030 257 0.15 outside top 500

Where Ernesto is most popular

Boys named Ernesto per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.156 per 1,000. Strongest in Arizona, Texas, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Ernesto born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Arizona 84 0.513 +230%
Texas 356 0.404 +160%
California 364 0.398 +156%
Nevada 20 0.351 +125%
New Mexico 10 0.303 +95%
Washington 29 0.177 +14%
Kansas 11 0.160 ≈ national
Florida 71 0.150 ≈ national
Colorado 19 0.147 -5%
Illinois 32 0.125 -20%
North Carolina 26 0.102 -35%
Georgia 24 0.095 -39%
Oregon 5 0.066 -58%
New Jersey 13 0.065 -59%
New York 16 0.037 -76%
Indiana 5 0.031 -80%
Michigan 5 0.024 -84%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Ernesto

Ernesto is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #878 in 2025 with 272 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1889, 44,816 American babies have been named Ernesto. Its peak came in 2003, when 854 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Ernesto stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ernesto?

The median living Ernesto is about 33 years old; half are between 21 and 48. An estimated 39 thousand people named Ernesto are alive in the United States today.

median 33 020406080100

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

Ernesto 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 – – 272 #878
2024 – – 265 #891
2023 – – 271 #868
2022 – – 279 #863
2021 – – 257 #893
2020 – – 293 #792
2019 – – 304 #773
2018 – – 330 #727
2017 – – 346 #707
2016 – – 363 #685
2015 – – 415 #638
2014 – – 405 #650
2013 – – 392 #627
2012 – – 478 #545
2011 – – 531 #493
2010 – – 529 #491
2009 – – 589 #463
2008 – – 721 #411
2007 – – 730 #403
2006 5 #18,011 793 #378
2005 – – 804 #368
2004 – – 818 #348
2003 – – 854 #335
2002 – – 853 #324
2001 – – 848 #328
2000 – – 792 #346
1995 – – 777 #329
1990 9 #8,701 822 #310
1985 10 #6,602 630 #319
1980 – – 645 #306
1975 5 #9,499 503 #339
1970 5 #8,362 453 #380
1965 – – 357 #414
1960 – – 356 #425
1955 – – 265 #458
1950 – – 278 #405
1945 – – 179 #444
1940 – – 122 #529
1935 – – 130 #504
1930 – – 168 #457
1925 – – 119 #570
1920 – – 77 #748
1915 – – 49 #884
1910 – – 12 #947
1905 – – 8 #947
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Ernesto

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ernesto Cardenal Ernesto Cardenal Nicaraguan priest, poet, and politician (1925-2020) Contemporary
  2. 2 Ernesto Teodoro Moneta Ernesto Teodoro Moneta Italian journalist, nationalist, pacifist 1833–1918 · 19th century
  3. 3 Ernesto Sabato Ernesto Sabato Argentine writer and physicist (1911–2011) Contemporary
  4. 4 Ernesto Laclau Ernesto Laclau Argentine philosopher and political theorist 1935–2014 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Ernesto Valverde Ernesto Valverde Spanish football manager (born 1964) Contemporary
  6. 6 Ernesto Geisel Ernesto Geisel President of Brazil from 1974 to 1979 1907–1996 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Ernesto Zedillo Ernesto Zedillo President of Mexico from 1994 to 2000 b. 1951 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Ernesto Brambilla Ernesto Brambilla Italian motorcycle racer and racing driver (1934–2020) Contemporary
  9. 9 Ernesto Samper Ernesto Samper President of Colombia from 1994 to 1998 b. 1950 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona Cuban composer and pianist (1895–1963) 19th century
  11. 11 Ernesto Mascheroni Uruguayan footballer (1907–1984) Contemporary
  12. 12 Ernesto Cesàro Ernesto Cesàro Italian mathematician (1859–1906) 19th century
  13. 13 Ernesto Vidal Ernesto Vidal Uruguayan footballer (1921–1974) Contemporary
  14. 14 Ernesto Hoost Ernesto Hoost Dutch professional kickboxer (born 1965) Contemporary
  15. 15 Ernesto Chaparro Ernesto Chaparro Chilean footballer (1901–1957) Contemporary
  16. 16 Ernesto Ruffini Ernesto Ruffini Italian cardinal 1888–1967 · 19th century
  17. 17 Ernesto Ambrosini Italian athlete (1894–1951) 19th century
  18. 18 Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada Religious figure, Mexico 1919–2008 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Ernesto Pérez Balladares Ernesto Pérez Balladares President of Panama (born 1946) Contemporary
  20. 20 Ernesto Castano Ernesto Castano Italian footballer (1939–2023) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ernesto?

The median living Ernesto is about 33 years old. Half of all living Ernestos are between 21 and 48 years old.

How many people named Ernesto are alive today?

An estimated 39 thousand people named Ernesto are alive in the United States, based on 44,816 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ernesto mean?

A male given name from Spanish.

How popular is the name Ernesto in 2025?

Ernesto ranked #878 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 272 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ernesto?

44,816 babies have been named Ernesto in the United States since 1889, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ernesto most popular?

Ernesto peaked in 2003, when 854 newborns received the name.

Is Ernesto a boy or girl name?

Ernesto is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ernesto rising or falling?

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

Will Ernesto become more popular?

Ernesto looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 257 boys named Ernesto in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ernesto?

Well-known people named Ernesto include Ernesto Cardenal (politician), Ernesto Teodoro Moneta (social activist), Ernesto Sabato (writer).

Names like Ernesto

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

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