Earnest
Boy name · #4139 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Earnest? In official American birth records, Earnest has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Earnest is currently the #4139 boy name in the United States — 25 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3365, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 72,000 boys born in 2025 was named Earnest.
Babies named Earnest per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Earnest first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 88 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1926, when 1,149 boys were named Earnest — good for #147 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Earnest against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Earnest in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Earnest is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Earnest will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Earnest is most common
State-level data for Earnest is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Earnest
Statistically, parents drawn to Earnest tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hubert, Herbert, Rudolph, Wilfred, and Russel.
HubertHerbertRudolphWilfredRusselRufusWilburJohnnie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Earnest | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #4139 |
| 2024 | 17 | #5443 |
| 2023 | 24 | #4343 |
| 2022 | 24 | #4303 |
| 2021 | 21 | #4628 |
| 2020 | 28 | #3734 |
| 2019 | 27 | #3899 |
| 2018 | 40 | #2943 |
| 2017 | 32 | #3440 |
| 2016 | 24 | #4199 |
| 2015 | 33 | #3365 |
| 2014 | 37 | #3038 |
| 2013 | 31 | #3405 |
| 2012 | 50 | #2488 |
| 2011 | 53 | #2376 |
| 2010 | 37 | #3072 |
| 2009 | 44 | #2753 |
| 2008 | 51 | #2467 |
| 2007 | 50 | #2504 |
| 2006 | 59 | #2176 |
| 2005 | 49 | #2365 |
| 2004 | 56 | #2102 |
| 2003 | 50 | #2180 |
| 2002 | 63 | #1817 |
| 2001 | 69 | #1677 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Earnest?
In official American birth records, the name Earnest first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 88 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Earnest a popular boy name?
Earnest ranked #4139 among boys in 2025 with 25 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3365.
When was the name Earnest most popular?
Earnest peaked in 1926, when 1,149 American boys received the name (ranked #147 that year). Since 1926 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Earnest?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 72,000 newborn American boys was named Earnest. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.