Early

Last seen for girls in 2013 at #14,582 · #7,679 for boys in 2025, 10 births
Given to boys 91.4% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1897 · 33 births
Debut · boys
11 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
3,989
since 1880

Early over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201942peak #1,332, 1891peak #321, 1897girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#7,67910
2024
2023
2022#7,76810
2021#12,1465
2020
2019#9,7567
2018
2017
2016#10,7446
2015#6,32413
2014
2013#14,5826
2012
2011
2010
2009#8,9858
2008#12,5535
2007#10,9216
2006
2005
2004#11,3565
2003#10,8945
2002#10,6675
2001
2000#5,92011
1999
1998
1997
1996#9,0155
1995#6,9927
1994
1993
1992#6,1288
1991#4,76011
1990#4,16713
1989#5,6158
1988#5,2008
1987#4,9688
1986#4,4579
1985#3,40113
1984#6,3155
1983#4,9077
1982#3,48212
1981#3,03014
1980#5,5256
1979#3,35712
1978#2,92914
1977#2,66516
1976#3,26411
1975#4,3097
1974#2,05021
1973#2,60614
1972#2,81912
1971#2,55814
1970#1,69926
1969#3,3148
1968#1,96217
1967#1,90617
1966#1,61323
1965#1,66922
1964#2,40912
1963#6,5925#1,79220
1962#5,2937#1,51527
1961#1,40632
1960#1,43431
1959#5,5666#1,43930
1958#6,1035#1,32134
1957#4,2029#1,30036
1956#1,56825
1955#3,57111#1,18140
1954#1,08248
1953#4,2268#1,09145
1952#3,7969#1,04448
1951#4,3857#1,04047
1950#3,6629#1,07443
1949#3,6129#91157
1948#2,82813#97251
1947#92357
1946#1,03144
1945#91649
1944#3,6877#81060
1943#3,4938#85660
1942#3,1949#90054
1941#3,9546#98742
1940#2,73710#96744
1939#2,9229#1,00740
1938#4,3425#83455
1937#3,1468#82455
1936#2,8579#84452
1935#3,7426#96943
1934#4,2865#80859
1933#79959
1932#4,4115#88852
1931#3,4977#99744
1930#3,3458#87357
1929#2,73711#75271
1928#2,49713#82663
1927#3,8757#69088
1926#2,35115#73176
1925#4,9735#74677
1924#2,97311#73781
1923#3,12510#75575
1922#4,0117#72282
1921#2,50914#70785
1920#3,3409#75476
1919#2,81311#66387
1918#3,02410#73376
1917#3,3448#65683
1916#75765
1915#69071
1914#2,8767#68755
1913#62950
1912#70037
1911#54830
1910#2,1406#48033
1909#43633
1908#52223
1907#1,6397#41730
1906#48921
1905#54918
1904#1,8775#43124
1903#41123
1902#44022
1901#40721
1900#41929
1899#36225
1898#38526
1897#32133
1896#1,4166#46219
1895#39024
1894#39922
1893#50914
1892#49716
1891#1,3325#39719
1890#36923
1889#40520
1888#44218
1887#43815
1886#43117
1885#48015
1884#50414
1883#46015
1882#61110
1881#50312
1880#57111
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Early was already there! It came in at #571, and was given to 11 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1993–1994, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Early is popular in 1942

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedKSArkansas: #372 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,191 boysARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #529 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 8,328 boysNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedLAMississippi: #401 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,743 boysMSAlabama: #334 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,632 boysALGeorgia: #436 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,883 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Early, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Alabama#334 · 1 in 3,632
  2. Arkansas#372 · 1 in 4,191
  3. Mississippi#401 · 1 in 4,743
  4. Georgia#436 · 1 in 5,883
  5. North Carolina#529 · 1 in 8,328

Best ever in a state: #146 in Alabama, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Alabama#33491 in 3,632
Arkansas#37251 in 4,191
Mississippi#40151 in 4,743
Georgia#43661 in 5,883
North Carolina#52951 in 8,328
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Early
Momentum · boys
Brand new
  • 1,355 spots since 2015 (#6,324#7,679)
  • Biggest jump: 151 spots in 1883 (#611#460)
  • Biggest drop: 173 spots in 1939 (#834#1,007)
Rise & fade · boys
17 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1897 at #321 (33 births)
  • Births halved by 1964, 67 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 68 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 68 yrs · run 1880–1938
Share of babies · boys
1 in 3,417
  • Highest: 1 in 3,417 boys born in 1897 were named Early (0.03%)
  • Latest: 1 in 170,808 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 19.4% of all boys named Early (774) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2015
  • Mostly girls until 2014, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s147#405 (1889)#485
1890s221#321 (1897)#409
1900s244#407 (1901)#452
1910s587#480 (1910)#654
1920s774#690 (1927)#742
1930s516#799 (1933)#884
1940s518#810 (1944)#927
1950s396#1,040 (1951)#1,214
1960s209#1,406 (1961)#1,902
1970s147#1,699 (1970)#2,826
1980s90#3,030 (1981)#4,690
1990s44#4,167 (1990)#6,212
2000s45#5,920 (2000)#10,185
2010s26#6,324 (2015)#8,941
2020s25#7,679 (2025)#9,198

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Early in 1942

girls
#3,194
9 births · 1 in 150,080 girls
boys
#900
54 births · 1 in 25,577 boys

Top girls' names in 1942

  1. #1Mary63,256
  2. #2Barbara44,739
  3. #3Patricia39,465
  4. #4Linda31,613
  5. #5Carol30,272
  6. #6Sandra24,994
  7. #7Judith24,792
  8. #8Nancy23,327
  9. #9Betty21,659
  10. #10Carolyn19,978
  11. #3,194Early9

Top boys' names in 1942

  1. #1James77,182
  2. #2Robert71,845
  3. #3John66,043
  4. #4William54,890
  5. #5Richard43,593
  6. #6David35,905
  7. #7Charles35,854
  8. #8Thomas31,100
  9. #9Ronald27,138
  10. #10Donald23,955
  11. #900Early54
More about 1942

girls

1,350,719 girls got a published name in 1942; 1 in 150,080 of them was named Early, which outranked 40.6% of the 5,378 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Early
  1. #2,986Yvonna10
  2. #2,986Zenith10
  3. #2,986Zoila10
  4. #3,194Early9
  5. #3,194Abbey9
  6. #3,194Aldene9
  7. #3,194Allena9
  8. #3,444Adean8
  9. #3,444Adriane8
  10. #3,444Alberteen8

Tied with 249 names at #3,194; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1941
Risers
  1. 3,567Michal#4,420#853
  2. 1,885Merrily#2,397#512
  3. 1,081Merrilee#1,954#873
  4. 783Jerrilyn#1,610#827
  5. 760Candace#1,418#658
Fallers
  1. 354Rebekah#924#1,278
  2. 350Leatha#830#1,180
  3. 307Nella#993#1,300
  4. 272Arla#934#1,206
  5. 262Vivien#735#997

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,381,161 boys got a published name in 1942; 1 in 25,577 of them was named Early, which outranked 77.7% of the 4,044 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Early
  1. #888Niles55
  2. #888Rowland55
  3. #888Vicente55
  4. #900Early54
  5. #900Arvil54
  6. #900General54
  7. #900Jame54
  8. #910Bertrand53
  9. #910Cedric53
  10. #910Cleve53

Tied with 9 names at #900; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1941
Risers
  1. 2,993Macarthur#3,505#512
  2. 1,546Mcarthur#1,903#357
  3. 655Collin#1,588#933
  4. 514Delmas#1,254#740
  5. 390Colin#713#323
Fallers
  1. 525Otho#971#1,496
  2. 440Florian#918#1,358
  3. 421Martha#960#1,381
  4. 407Watson#951#1,358
  5. 371Gaylen#987#1,358

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1942