Ernest
Last seen for girls in 1991 at #7,987 · #1,038 for boys in 2025, 213 births
Given to boys 99.4% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1885 · 718 births
- Debut · boys
- 615 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 77 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 302,499since 1880
Ernest over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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 | — | #1,038 | 213 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,076 | 202 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,024 | 213 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,131 | 186 | |
| 2021 | — | #1,108 | 187 | |
| 2020 | — | #1,009 | 208 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,057 | 193 | |
| 2018 | — | #964 | 215 | |
| 2017 | — | #951 | 219 | |
| 2016 | — | #977 | 210 | |
| 2015 | — | #955 | 216 | |
| 2014 | — | #877 | 247 | |
| 2013 | — | #934 | 217 | |
| 2012 | — | #922 | 223 | |
| 2011 | — | #846 | 253 | |
| 2010 | — | #925 | 218 | |
| 2009 | — | #850 | 251 | |
| 2008 | — | #791 | 277 | |
| 2007 | — | #759 | 289 | |
| 2006 | — | #724 | 298 | |
| 2005 | — | #648 | 336 | |
| 2004 | — | #595 | 368 | |
| 2003 | — | #594 | 363 | |
| 2002 | — | #591 | 353 | |
| 2001 | — | #576 | 357 | |
| 2000 | — | #514 | 440 | |
| 1999 | — | #536 | 387 | |
| 1998 | — | #485 | 450 | |
| 1997 | — | #460 | 480 | |
| 1996 | — | #435 | 517 | |
| 1995 | — | #460 | 491 | |
| 1994 | — | #392 | 591 | |
| 1993 | — | #367 | 644 | |
| 1992 | — | #337 | 721 | |
| 1991 | #7,987 | 10 | #299 | 853 |
| 1990 | — | #283 | 920 | |
| 1989 | #7,449 | 10 | #265 | 955 |
| 1988 | #7,691 | 9 | #239 | 1,002 |
| 1987 | #8,778 | 7 | #245 | 947 |
| 1986 | #6,612 | 10 | #233 | 1,007 |
| 1985 | #6,955 | 9 | #220 | 1,072 |
| 1984 | #5,899 | 11 | #203 | 1,148 |
| 1983 | #5,824 | 11 | #199 | 1,191 |
| 1982 | #4,945 | 14 | #200 | 1,240 |
| 1981 | #6,804 | 9 | #193 | 1,304 |
| 1980 | #4,327 | 17 | #180 | 1,370 |
| 1979 | #4,052 | 18 | #171 | 1,399 |
| 1978 | #7,649 | 7 | #171 | 1,381 |
| 1977 | #4,235 | 16 | #161 | 1,485 |
| 1976 | #3,963 | 16 | #160 | 1,482 |
| 1975 | #4,370 | 14 | #161 | 1,515 |
| 1974 | #4,041 | 15 | #150 | 1,642 |
| 1973 | #4,871 | 11 | #149 | 1,680 |
| 1972 | #3,714 | 16 | #147 | 1,767 |
| 1971 | #3,166 | 21 | #143 | 2,101 |
| 1970 | #3,311 | 19 | #143 | 2,304 |
| 1969 | #2,917 | 21 | #130 | 2,357 |
| 1968 | #4,000 | 12 | #130 | 2,246 |
| 1967 | #2,706 | 21 | #128 | 2,351 |
| 1966 | #4,866 | 8 | #122 | 2,505 |
| 1965 | #2,605 | 22 | #124 | 2,578 |
| 1964 | #2,530 | 24 | #124 | 2,816 |
| 1963 | #2,780 | 20 | #122 | 2,904 |
| 1962 | #2,463 | 24 | #127 | 2,849 |
| 1961 | #2,299 | 27 | #123 | 3,096 |
| 1960 | #2,432 | 24 | #120 | 3,190 |
| 1959 | #2,339 | 24 | #118 | 3,341 |
| 1958 | #2,376 | 23 | #113 | 3,516 |
| 1957 | #2,727 | 18 | #101 | 3,786 |
| 1956 | #2,103 | 27 | #94 | 3,952 |
| 1955 | #3,095 | 14 | #90 | 3,975 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #87 | 4,202 |
| 1953 | #2,921 | 14 | #87 | 4,095 |
| 1952 | #2,126 | 23 | #87 | 4,123 |
| 1951 | #2,577 | 16 | #83 | 4,382 |
| 1950 | #2,253 | 19 | #81 | 4,308 |
| 1949 | #1,697 | 31 | #76 | 4,346 |
| 1948 | #2,188 | 20 | #76 | 4,512 |
| 1947 | #2,637 | 15 | #75 | 4,787 |
| 1946 | #2,739 | 13 | #71 | 4,395 |
| 1945 | #1,795 | 22 | #60 | 4,005 |
| 1944 | #1,486 | 30 | #59 | 4,042 |
| 1943 | #1,703 | 25 | #61 | 4,172 |
| 1942 | #1,668 | 25 | #61 | 4,079 |
| 1941 | #1,750 | 21 | #61 | 3,726 |
| 1940 | #1,745 | 21 | #58 | 3,698 |
| 1939 | #1,881 | 18 | #55 | 3,688 |
| 1938 | #1,250 | 34 | #55 | 3,708 |
| 1937 | #2,101 | 15 | #53 | 3,759 |
| 1936 | #1,321 | 30 | #55 | 3,715 |
| 1935 | #1,663 | 21 | #55 | 3,702 |
| 1934 | #1,409 | 27 | #51 | 3,849 |
| 1933 | #1,244 | 33 | #50 | 3,674 |
| 1932 | #1,213 | 35 | #47 | 4,166 |
| 1931 | #1,258 | 33 | #47 | 4,298 |
| 1930 | #1,274 | 35 | #43 | 4,787 |
| 1929 | #1,195 | 39 | #43 | 4,753 |
| 1928 | #1,115 | 46 | #43 | 4,941 |
| 1927 | #1,071 | 51 | #41 | 5,208 |
| 1926 | #1,279 | 37 | #37 | 5,436 |
| 1925 | #1,150 | 45 | #37 | 5,494 |
| 1924 | #1,279 | 39 | #37 | 5,683 |
| 1923 | #1,556 | 28 | #38 | 5,372 |
| 1922 | #1,366 | 34 | #37 | 5,503 |
| 1921 | #1,668 | 26 | #38 | 5,697 |
| 1920 | #1,312 | 35 | #37 | 5,566 |
| 1919 | #1,604 | 25 | #36 | 5,296 |
| 1918 | #1,360 | 32 | #37 | 5,527 |
| 1917 | #2,204 | 15 | #37 | 5,055 |
| 1916 | #1,408 | 27 | #36 | 4,823 |
| 1915 | #1,523 | 23 | #35 | 4,787 |
| 1914 | #1,541 | 18 | #38 | 3,632 |
| 1913 | #1,883 | 11 | #34 | 2,940 |
| 1912 | #1,981 | 9 | #32 | 2,569 |
| 1911 | #1,450 | 11 | #32 | 1,338 |
| 1910 | #2,398 | 5 | #31 | 1,167 |
| 1909 | #1,763 | 7 | #34 | 885 |
| 1908 | #2,101 | 5 | #31 | 1,000 |
| 1907 | #1,384 | 9 | #30 | 978 |
| 1906 | — | #28 | 943 | |
| 1905 | #1,420 | 8 | #31 | 845 |
| 1904 | #1,251 | 9 | #32 | 749 |
| 1903 | — | #30 | 764 | |
| 1902 | #1,594 | 6 | #29 | 790 |
| 1901 | #1,136 | 9 | #28 | 691 |
| 1900 | #1,932 | 5 | #30 | 1,012 |
| 1899 | #1,596 | 5 | #27 | 744 |
| 1898 | #1,379 | 7 | #28 | 839 |
| 1897 | — | #27 | 785 | |
| 1896 | — | #29 | 764 | |
| 1895 | #986 | 11 | #24 | 834 |
| 1894 | — | #24 | 821 | |
| 1893 | #1,437 | 5 | #23 | 796 |
| 1892 | #796 | 14 | #26 | 805 |
| 1891 | — | #22 | 715 | |
| 1890 | — | #22 | 774 | |
| 1889 | #902 | 9 | #23 | 736 |
| 1888 | #1,136 | 6 | #27 | 766 |
| 1887 | #937 | 7 | #23 | 653 |
| 1886 | #1,108 | 5 | #25 | 668 |
| 1885 | — | #21 | 718 | |
| 1884 | — | #25 | 690 | |
| 1883 | — | #23 | 641 | |
| 1882 | — | #27 | 642 | |
| 1881 | — | #25 | 571 | |
| 1880 | — | #26 | 615 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Ernest was already there! It came in at #26, and was given to 615 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 2008–2025, when fewer than 280 boys a year got the name.
Where Ernest is popular in 2021
- 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
- South Carolina#496 · 1 in 2,532
- Massachusetts#650 · 1 in 4,753
- Wisconsin#778 · 1 in 4,865
- Minnesota#803 · 1 in 5,028
- New York#814 · 1 in 5,571
Best ever in a state: #8 in Hawaii, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | #496 | 8 | 1 in 2,532 |
| Massachusetts | #650 | 6 | 1 in 4,753 |
| Wisconsin | #778 | 5 | 1 in 4,865 |
| Minnesota | #803 | 5 | 1 in 5,028 |
| New York | #814 | 16 | 1 in 5,571 |
| Tennessee | #897 | 6 | 1 in 5,973 |
| New Jersey | #917 | 6 | 1 in 6,759 |
| Pennsylvania | #924 | 8 | 1 in 6,932 |
| Indiana | #940 | 5 | 1 in 6,551 |
| Illinois | #955 | 8 | 1 in 6,738 |
| Washington | #973 | 5 | 1 in 6,680 |
| California | #979 | 23 | 1 in 8,234 |
| Texas | #1,155 | 17 | 1 in 10,066 |
| Georgia | #1,158 | 6 | 1 in 8,395 |
| Florida | #1,313 | 8 | 1 in 11,595 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| 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 Ernest
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 38 spots since 2024 (#1,076 → #1,038)
- 29 spots since 2020 (#1,009 → #1,038)
- 83 spots since 2015 (#955 → #1,038)
- Biggest jump: 79 spots in 2011 (#925 → #846)
- Biggest drop: 93 spots in 2019 (#964 → #1,057)
Rise & fade · boys
5 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1885 at #21 (718 births)
- Births halved by 2001, 116 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 77 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 77 yrs · run 1880–1956
- Top 1,000: 139 yrs · run 1880–2018
Share of babies · boys
1 in 141
- Highest: 1 in 141 boys born in 1895 were named Ernest (0.71%)
- Latest: 1 in 8,019 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #21 in 1885, was only 1 in 150 (0.67%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 17.7% of all boys named Ernest (53,653) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,700 | #21 (1885) | #25 |
| 1890s | 7,877 | #22 (1890) | #25 |
| 1900s | 8,657 | #28 (1906) | #30 |
| 1910s | 37,134 | #31 (1910) | #35 |
| 1920s | 53,653 | #37 (1924) | #39 |
| 1930s | 39,346 | #43 (1930) | #51 |
| 1940s | 41,762 | #58 (1940) | #66 |
| 1950s | 39,680 | #81 (1950) | #94 |
| 1960s | 26,892 | #120 (1960) | #125 |
| 1970s | 16,756 | #143 (1970) | #156 |
| 1980s | 11,236 | #180 (1980) | #218 |
| 1990s | 6,054 | #283 (1990) | #405 |
| 2000s | 3,332 | #514 (2000) | #664 |
| 2010s | 2,211 | #846 (2011) | #941 |
| 2020s | 1,209 | #1,009 (2020) | #1,064 |
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.
Ernest in 2021
boys
#1,108
187 births · 1 in 9,356 boys
Top boys' names in 2021
More about 2021
boys
1,749,482 boys got a published name in 2021; 1 in 9,356 of them was named Ernest, which outranked 92.1% of the 14,096 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 7.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).