Earnest

Last seen for girls in 1980 at #10,392 · #4,139 for boys in 2025, 25 births
Given to boys 98.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1900 · 223 births
Debut · boys
88 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
58,389
since 1880

Earnest over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Earnest has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201943peak #104, 1900boys
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#4,13925
2024#5,44317
2023#4,34324
2022#4,30324
2021#4,62821
2020#3,73428
2019#3,89927
2018#2,94340
2017#3,44032
2016#4,19924
2015#3,36533
2014#3,03837
2013#3,40531
2012#2,48850
2011#2,37653
2010#3,07237
2009#2,75344
2008#2,46751
2007#2,50450
2006#2,17659
2005#2,36549
2004#2,10256
2003#2,18050
2002#1,81763
2001#1,67769
2000#1,68168
1999#1,47777
1998#1,23798
1997#1,29488
1996#1,30384
1995#1,20692
1994#1,030116
1993#1,16392
1992#911135
1991#945126
1990#849145
1989#758169
1988#756157
1987#698170
1986#642195
1985#659178
1984#655174
1983#582210
1982#534255
1981#553236
1980#10,3925#539251
1979#10,2105#545245
1978#568218
1977#501266
1976#469281
1975#7,9846#473285
1974#474281
1973#446306
1972#8,2925#434334
1971#6,0068#426362
1970#5,4139#417383
1969#7,4715#409380
1968#393390
1967#4,30010#386379
1966#4,19810#368423
1965#3,73312#365443
1964#5,4747#391417
1963#6,5925#363468
1962#353499
1961#4,00911#345524
1960#2,98917#320592
1959#3,25414#326559
1958#3,54312#298634
1957#3,48912#303631
1956#3,49312#272727
1955#3,77810#269696
1954#2,69517#250771
1953#2,59517#239787
1952#3,04013#233814
1951#3,10612#239803
1950#2,34118#213888
1949#2,34018#213888
1948#3,35010#211899
1947#3,06112#203982
1946#3,03411#202850
1945#1,87420#188807
1944#3,1399#182896
1943#2,07918#177940
1942#2,81711#192835
1941#1,88219#185812
1940#2,42412#184797
1939#1,88118#176808
1938#1,94517#175827
1937#2,73510#174833
1936#2,15314#169815
1935#2,00616#163881
1934#2,28913#161921
1933#3,1098#166858
1932#2,36513#169872
1931#2,42712#162916
1930#2,69011#153991
1929#2,30114#155996
1928#2,38114#1531,043
1927#2,33915#1481,062
1926#3,04610#1471,149
1925#2,37815#1481,103
1924#2,51414#1451,144
1923#2,02119#1461,063
1922#1,95720#1431,089
1921#2,50914#1381,128
1920#3,09710#1401,092
1919#2,51513#1391,064
1918#3,2449#1421,081
1917#3,7137#143924
1916#3,0319#155780
1915#143824
1914#2,8767#147638
1913#2,5407#144521
1912#132486
1911#125283
1910#128255
1909#107255
1908#111230
1907#107225
1906#117183
1905#124172
1904#110189
1903#133140
1902#121159
1901#127131
1900#104223
1899#114146
1898#1,7005#114161
1897#116148
1896#124144
1895#117143
1894#119131
1893#121132
1892#116149
1891#121114
1890#120122
1889#144101
1888#118138
1887#12999
1886#131105
1885#113120
1884#132109
1883#14887
1882#134104
1881#13292
1880#15488
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Earnest was already there! It came in at #154, and was given to 88 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2021–2025, when fewer than 26 boys a year got the name.

Where Earnest is popular in 1943

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedMNIllinois: #342 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 6,633 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedWIMichigan: #390 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 8,375 boysMINew York: #463 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 13,296 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedIAIndiana: #295 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,278 boysINOhio: #324 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 5,659 boysOHPennsylvania: #314 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 6,224 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #468 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 8,184 boysCAUtah: #225 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,551 boysUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedNEMissouri: #199 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,733 boysMOKentucky: #167 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 1,057 boysKYWest Virginia: #116 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 651 boysWVVirginia: #94 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 485 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedKSArkansas: #88 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 405 boysARTennessee: #115 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 674 boysTNNorth Carolina: #144 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 854 boysNCSouth Carolina: #86 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 429 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #154 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 940 boysOKLouisiana: #118 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 577 boysLAMississippi: #56 for boys · 92 births · 1 in 270 boysMSAlabama: #68 for boys · 94 births · 1 in 365 boysALGeorgia: #88 for boys · 81 births · 1 in 453 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Earnest, so not publishedHITexas: #156 for boys · 95 births · 1 in 820 boysTXFlorida: #100 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 507 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#56 · 1 in 270
  2. Alabama#68 · 1 in 365
  3. South Carolina#86 · 1 in 429
  4. Arkansas#88 · 1 in 405
  5. Georgia#88 · 1 in 453

Best ever in a state: #40 in Georgia, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#56921 in 270
Alabama#68941 in 365
South Carolina#86571 in 429
Arkansas#88521 in 405
Georgia#88811 in 453
Virginia#94631 in 485
Florida#100431 in 507
Tennessee#115491 in 674
West Virginia#116311 in 651
Louisiana#118471 in 577
North Carolina#144511 in 854
Oklahoma#154241 in 940
Texas#156951 in 820
Kentucky#167281 in 1,057
Missouri#199201 in 1,733
Utah#22551 in 1,551
Indiana#29581 in 4,278
Pennsylvania#314151 in 6,224
Ohio#324121 in 5,659
Illinois#342111 in 6,633
Michigan#39071 in 8,375
New York#46391 in 13,296
California#468101 in 8,184
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Vermont
Washington
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 Earnest
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 1,304 spots since 2024 (#5,443#4,139)
  • 405 spots since 2020 (#3,734#4,139)
  • 774 spots since 2015 (#3,365#4,139)
  • Biggest jump: 34 spots in 1992 (#945#911)
  • Biggest drop: 252 spots in 1993 (#911#1,163)
Rise & fade · boys
20 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1900 at #104 (223 births)
  • Births halved by 1993, 93 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 113 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 113 yrs · run 1880–1992
Share of babies · boys
1 in 643
  • Highest: 1 in 643 boys born in 1909 were named Earnest (0.16%)
  • Latest: 1 in 68,323 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #104 in 1900, was only 1 in 675 (0.15%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 18.6% of all boys named Earnest (10,869) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,043#113 (1885)#134
1890s1,390#114 (1898)#118
1900s1,907#104 (1900)#116
1910s6,856#125 (1911)#140
1920s10,869#138 (1921)#146
1930s8,722#153 (1930)#167
1940s8,706#177 (1943)#194
1950s7,310#213 (1950)#264
1960s4,515#320 (1960)#369
1970s2,961#417 (1970)#475
1980s1,995#534 (1982)#638
1990s1,053#849 (1990)#1,142
2000s559#1,677 (2001)#2,172
2010s364#2,376 (2011)#3,223
2020s139#3,734 (2020)#4,432

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.

Earnest in 1943

girls
#2,079
18 births · 1 in 77,516 girls
boys
#177
940 births · 1 in 1,518 boys

Top girls' names in 1943

  1. #1Mary66,174
  2. #2Barbara43,432
  3. #3Patricia39,620
  4. #4Linda38,439
  5. #5Carol31,686
  6. #6Sandra25,990
  7. #7Judith25,214
  8. #8Sharon24,712
  9. #9Nancy23,988
  10. #10Betty21,596
  11. #2,079Earnest18

Top boys' names in 1943

  1. #1James80,278
  2. #2Robert74,892
  3. #3John68,929
  4. #4William55,904
  5. #5Richard46,339
  6. #6David37,240
  7. #7Charles36,632
  8. #8Thomas32,874
  9. #9Ronald29,239
  10. #10Michael24,745
  11. #177Earnest940
More about 1943

girls

1,395,293 girls got a published name in 1943; 1 in 77,516 of them was named Earnest, which outranked 61.3% of the 5,367 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Earnest
  1. #1,994Vanita19
  2. #1,994Vincenza19
  3. #1,994Wynema19
  4. #2,079Earnest18
  5. #2,079Adah18
  6. #2,079Aimee18
  7. #2,079Aleen18
  8. #2,151Adria17
  9. #2,151Alecia17
  10. #2,151Alline17

Tied with 71 names at #2,079; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1942
Risers
  1. 878Tana#1,559#681
  2. 754Rozanne#1,706#952
  3. 722Cheryle#1,592#870
  4. 596Tena#1,592#996
  5. 525Alexis#1,349#824
Fallers
  1. 594Florida#997#1,591
  2. 467Jerilynn#581#1,048
  3. 364Lorelei#864#1,228
  4. 308Kaaren#536#844
  5. 305Erna#864#1,169

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

boys

1,427,297 boys got a published name in 1943; 1 in 1,518 of them was named Earnest, which outranked 95.6% of the 4,040 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 34.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Earnest
  1. #174Everett1,002
  2. #175Virgil993
  3. #176Benny960
  4. #177Earnest940
  5. #178Alexander924
  6. #178Stuart924
  7. #180Donnie920
Biggest movers since 1942
Risers
  1. 514Derek#1,228#714
  2. 465Armond#1,421#956
  3. 368Les#1,214#846
  4. 347Aron#1,244#897
  5. 321Edsel#1,167#846
Fallers
  1. 500Humberto#780#1,280
  2. 352Chauncey#928#1,280
  3. 352Clearence#991#1,343
  4. 344Macarthur#512#856
  5. 325Reyes#933#1,258

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

See the top 100 for 1943