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
- Peak · boys
- 1900 · 223 births
- Debut · boys
- 88 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 58,389since 1880
Earnest over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Earnest has never cracked the top 100 here.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #4,139 | 25 | |
| 2024 | — | #5,443 | 17 | |
| 2023 | — | #4,343 | 24 | |
| 2022 | — | #4,303 | 24 | |
| 2021 | — | #4,628 | 21 | |
| 2020 | — | #3,734 | 28 | |
| 2019 | — | #3,899 | 27 | |
| 2018 | — | #2,943 | 40 | |
| 2017 | — | #3,440 | 32 | |
| 2016 | — | #4,199 | 24 | |
| 2015 | — | #3,365 | 33 | |
| 2014 | — | #3,038 | 37 | |
| 2013 | — | #3,405 | 31 | |
| 2012 | — | #2,488 | 50 | |
| 2011 | — | #2,376 | 53 | |
| 2010 | — | #3,072 | 37 | |
| 2009 | — | #2,753 | 44 | |
| 2008 | — | #2,467 | 51 | |
| 2007 | — | #2,504 | 50 | |
| 2006 | — | #2,176 | 59 | |
| 2005 | — | #2,365 | 49 | |
| 2004 | — | #2,102 | 56 | |
| 2003 | — | #2,180 | 50 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,817 | 63 | |
| 2001 | — | #1,677 | 69 | |
| 2000 | — | #1,681 | 68 | |
| 1999 | — | #1,477 | 77 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,237 | 98 | |
| 1997 | — | #1,294 | 88 | |
| 1996 | — | #1,303 | 84 | |
| 1995 | — | #1,206 | 92 | |
| 1994 | — | #1,030 | 116 | |
| 1993 | — | #1,163 | 92 | |
| 1992 | — | #911 | 135 | |
| 1991 | — | #945 | 126 | |
| 1990 | — | #849 | 145 | |
| 1989 | — | #758 | 169 | |
| 1988 | — | #756 | 157 | |
| 1987 | — | #698 | 170 | |
| 1986 | — | #642 | 195 | |
| 1985 | — | #659 | 178 | |
| 1984 | — | #655 | 174 | |
| 1983 | — | #582 | 210 | |
| 1982 | — | #534 | 255 | |
| 1981 | — | #553 | 236 | |
| 1980 | #10,392 | 5 | #539 | 251 |
| 1979 | #10,210 | 5 | #545 | 245 |
| 1978 | — | #568 | 218 | |
| 1977 | — | #501 | 266 | |
| 1976 | — | #469 | 281 | |
| 1975 | #7,984 | 6 | #473 | 285 |
| 1974 | — | #474 | 281 | |
| 1973 | — | #446 | 306 | |
| 1972 | #8,292 | 5 | #434 | 334 |
| 1971 | #6,006 | 8 | #426 | 362 |
| 1970 | #5,413 | 9 | #417 | 383 |
| 1969 | #7,471 | 5 | #409 | 380 |
| 1968 | — | #393 | 390 | |
| 1967 | #4,300 | 10 | #386 | 379 |
| 1966 | #4,198 | 10 | #368 | 423 |
| 1965 | #3,733 | 12 | #365 | 443 |
| 1964 | #5,474 | 7 | #391 | 417 |
| 1963 | #6,592 | 5 | #363 | 468 |
| 1962 | — | #353 | 499 | |
| 1961 | #4,009 | 11 | #345 | 524 |
| 1960 | #2,989 | 17 | #320 | 592 |
| 1959 | #3,254 | 14 | #326 | 559 |
| 1958 | #3,543 | 12 | #298 | 634 |
| 1957 | #3,489 | 12 | #303 | 631 |
| 1956 | #3,493 | 12 | #272 | 727 |
| 1955 | #3,778 | 10 | #269 | 696 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #250 | 771 |
| 1953 | #2,595 | 17 | #239 | 787 |
| 1952 | #3,040 | 13 | #233 | 814 |
| 1951 | #3,106 | 12 | #239 | 803 |
| 1950 | #2,341 | 18 | #213 | 888 |
| 1949 | #2,340 | 18 | #213 | 888 |
| 1948 | #3,350 | 10 | #211 | 899 |
| 1947 | #3,061 | 12 | #203 | 982 |
| 1946 | #3,034 | 11 | #202 | 850 |
| 1945 | #1,874 | 20 | #188 | 807 |
| 1944 | #3,139 | 9 | #182 | 896 |
| 1943 | #2,079 | 18 | #177 | 940 |
| 1942 | #2,817 | 11 | #192 | 835 |
| 1941 | #1,882 | 19 | #185 | 812 |
| 1940 | #2,424 | 12 | #184 | 797 |
| 1939 | #1,881 | 18 | #176 | 808 |
| 1938 | #1,945 | 17 | #175 | 827 |
| 1937 | #2,735 | 10 | #174 | 833 |
| 1936 | #2,153 | 14 | #169 | 815 |
| 1935 | #2,006 | 16 | #163 | 881 |
| 1934 | #2,289 | 13 | #161 | 921 |
| 1933 | #3,109 | 8 | #166 | 858 |
| 1932 | #2,365 | 13 | #169 | 872 |
| 1931 | #2,427 | 12 | #162 | 916 |
| 1930 | #2,690 | 11 | #153 | 991 |
| 1929 | #2,301 | 14 | #155 | 996 |
| 1928 | #2,381 | 14 | #153 | 1,043 |
| 1927 | #2,339 | 15 | #148 | 1,062 |
| 1926 | #3,046 | 10 | #147 | 1,149 |
| 1925 | #2,378 | 15 | #148 | 1,103 |
| 1924 | #2,514 | 14 | #145 | 1,144 |
| 1923 | #2,021 | 19 | #146 | 1,063 |
| 1922 | #1,957 | 20 | #143 | 1,089 |
| 1921 | #2,509 | 14 | #138 | 1,128 |
| 1920 | #3,097 | 10 | #140 | 1,092 |
| 1919 | #2,515 | 13 | #139 | 1,064 |
| 1918 | #3,244 | 9 | #142 | 1,081 |
| 1917 | #3,713 | 7 | #143 | 924 |
| 1916 | #3,031 | 9 | #155 | 780 |
| 1915 | — | #143 | 824 | |
| 1914 | #2,876 | 7 | #147 | 638 |
| 1913 | #2,540 | 7 | #144 | 521 |
| 1912 | — | #132 | 486 | |
| 1911 | — | #125 | 283 | |
| 1910 | — | #128 | 255 | |
| 1909 | — | #107 | 255 | |
| 1908 | — | #111 | 230 | |
| 1907 | — | #107 | 225 | |
| 1906 | — | #117 | 183 | |
| 1905 | — | #124 | 172 | |
| 1904 | — | #110 | 189 | |
| 1903 | — | #133 | 140 | |
| 1902 | — | #121 | 159 | |
| 1901 | — | #127 | 131 | |
| 1900 | — | #104 | 223 | |
| 1899 | — | #114 | 146 | |
| 1898 | #1,700 | 5 | #114 | 161 |
| 1897 | — | #116 | 148 | |
| 1896 | — | #124 | 144 | |
| 1895 | — | #117 | 143 | |
| 1894 | — | #119 | 131 | |
| 1893 | — | #121 | 132 | |
| 1892 | — | #116 | 149 | |
| 1891 | — | #121 | 114 | |
| 1890 | — | #120 | 122 | |
| 1889 | — | #144 | 101 | |
| 1888 | — | #118 | 138 | |
| 1887 | — | #129 | 99 | |
| 1886 | — | #131 | 105 | |
| 1885 | — | #113 | 120 | |
| 1884 | — | #132 | 109 | |
| 1883 | — | #148 | 87 | |
| 1882 | — | #134 | 104 | |
| 1881 | — | #132 | 92 | |
| 1880 | — | #154 | 88 | |
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 1988
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Mississippi#194 · 1 in 1,092
- Georgia#411 · 1 in 3,891
- Louisiana#430 · 1 in 3,509
- North Carolina#528 · 1 in 6,216
- Michigan#534 · 1 in 8,083
Best ever in a state: #40 in Georgia, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | #194 | 15 | 1 in 1,092 |
| Georgia | #411 | 12 | 1 in 3,891 |
| Louisiana | #430 | 9 | 1 in 3,509 |
| North Carolina | #528 | 7 | 1 in 6,216 |
| Michigan | #534 | 8 | 1 in 8,083 |
| Florida | #582 | 12 | 1 in 7,039 |
| Ohio | #605 | 7 | 1 in 10,988 |
| Illinois | #619 | 10 | 1 in 8,345 |
| Texas | #740 | 14 | 1 in 10,293 |
| California | #1,139 | 11 | 1 in 22,931 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| 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 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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,043 | #113 (1885) | #134 |
| 1890s | 1,390 | #114 (1898) | #118 |
| 1900s | 1,907 | #104 (1900) | #116 |
| 1910s | 6,856 | #125 (1911) | #140 |
| 1920s | 10,869 | #138 (1921) | #146 |
| 1930s | 8,722 | #153 (1930) | #167 |
| 1940s | 8,706 | #177 (1943) | #194 |
| 1950s | 7,310 | #213 (1950) | #264 |
| 1960s | 4,515 | #320 (1960) | #369 |
| 1970s | 2,961 | #417 (1970) | #475 |
| 1980s | 1,995 | #534 (1982) | #638 |
| 1990s | 1,053 | #849 (1990) | #1,142 |
| 2000s | 559 | #1,677 (2001) | #2,172 |
| 2010s | 364 | #2,376 (2011) | #3,223 |
| 2020s | 139 | #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 1988
boys
#756
157 births · 1 in 12,193 boys
Top boys' names in 1988
More about 1988
boys
1,914,283 boys got a published name in 1988; 1 in 12,193 of them was named Earnest, which outranked 91.1% of the 8,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).