Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1959

Ernie

Meaning A diminutive of the male given name Ernest Gender Boy · 4% girls Rank 2025 #5,270

A diminutive of the male given name Ernest.

Rank 2025
#5,270
among boys · ↑1,010 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
18
named Ernie
How common
1 in 94,893
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1959
455 babies
All-time total
17,234
#917 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ernie popularity over time

17,234 babies have been named Ernie 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
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 5 70 75 8 – #537
1890s 19 81 100 10 +33% #564
1900s 48 128 176 18 +76% #535
1910s 162 476 638 64 +262% #639
1920s 151 927 1,078 108 +69% #547
1930s 151 1,368 1,519 152 +41% #433
1940s 95 2,838 2,933 293 +93% #305
1950s 69 3,380 3,449 345 +18% #368
1960s 14 3,116 3,130 313 -9% #378
1970s – 1,541 1,541 154 -51% #551
1980s – 1,033 1,033 103 -33% #762
1990s – 719 719 72 -30% #1,062
2000s – 477 477 48 -34% #1,729
2010s – 249 249 25 -48% #2,918
2020s (to 2025) – 117 117 20 -22% #4,051

The story of Ernie

Ernie is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,270 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 17,234 American babies have been named Ernie. Its peak came in 1959, when 455 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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

How old are people named Ernie?

The median living Ernie is about 62 years old; half are between 47 and 71. An estimated 11 thousand people named Ernie are alive in the United States today.

median 62 020406080100

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

Ernie 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 – – 18 #5,270
2024 – – 14 #6,280
2023 – – 20 #4,936
2022 – – 21 #4,754
2021 – – 19 #4,980
2020 – – 25 #4,051
2019 – – 18 #5,220
2018 – – 23 #4,401
2017 – – 20 #4,796
2016 – – 28 #3,805
2015 – – 23 #4,332
2014 – – 25 #4,048
2013 – – 19 #4,857
2012 – – 26 #3,935
2011 – – 40 #2,918
2010 – – 27 #3,844
2009 – – 24 #4,197
2008 – – 37 #3,127
2007 – – 48 #2,575
2006 – – 46 #2,596
2005 – – 51 #2,307
2004 – – 51 #2,256
2003 – – 64 #1,854
2002 – – 49 #2,165
2001 – – 42 #2,356
2000 – – 65 #1,729
1995 – – 60 #1,566
1990 – – 100 #1,062
1985 – – 96 #928
1980 – – 124 #787
1975 – – 130 #725
1970 – – 212 #556
1965 – – 265 #478
1960 8 #4,892 435 #378
1955 14 #3,133 311 #416
1950 9 #3,765 305 #383
1945 11 #2,788 381 #305
1940 9 #3,036 172 #442
1935 16 #2,026 161 #449
1930 13 #2,462 104 #594
1925 13 #2,666 86 #699
1920 13 #2,635 77 #749
1915 17 #1,905 69 #708
1910 12 #1,361 19 #685
1905 5 #2,035 19 #535
1900 – – 12 #756
1895 8 #1,226 7 #916
1890 – – 9 #687
1885 – – 6 #868
1880 – – 6 #852

Famous people named Ernie

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

  1. 1 Ernie Hudson Ernie Hudson American actor (born 1945) Contemporary
  2. 2 Ernie Kovacs Ernie Kovacs American comedian (1919–1962) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ernie Els Ernie Els South African professional golfer (born 1969) Contemporary
  4. 4 Ernie Sabella Ernie Sabella American actor (born 1949) Contemporary
  5. 5 Ernie Davis Ernie Davis American football player (1939–1963) Contemporary
  6. 6 Ernie Banks Ernie Banks American baseball player (1931–2015) Contemporary
  7. 7 Ernie Pyle Ernie Pyle American war correspondent and writer 1900–1945 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Ernie Terrell Ernie Terrell American boxer (1939–2014) Contemporary
  9. 9 Ernie Grunfeld Ernie Grunfeld Romanian-American basketball executive b. 1955 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Ernie Fletcher Ernie Fletcher American politician (born 1952) Contemporary
  11. 11 Ernie Brandts Ernie Brandts Dutch footballer (born 1956) Contemporary
  12. 12 Ernie Pieterse South African racing driver (1938–2017) Contemporary
  13. 13 Ernie Collett Ernie Collett Canadian ice hockey player (1895–1951) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ernie?

The median living Ernie is about 62 years old. Half of all living Ernies are between 47 and 71 years old.

How many people named Ernie are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Ernie are alive in the United States, based on 17,234 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ernie mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Ernest.

How popular is the name Ernie in 2025?

Ernie ranked #5,270 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ernie?

17,234 babies have been named Ernie in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ernie most popular?

Ernie peaked in 1959, when 455 newborns received the name.

Is Ernie a boy or girl name?

Ernie is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ernie rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Ernie?

Well-known people named Ernie include Ernie Hudson (actor), Ernie Kovacs (actor), Ernie Els (golfer).

Names like Ernie

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

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