Total births
3,989
Unisex name · since 1880
Early
Early has 3,989 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1927 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 3,989
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
3,989 boys have been named Early since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Early has 3,989 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 3,989 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 19% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
3,989 boys have been named Early since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 3,989
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 19%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Early was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
88 babies were named Early in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
Early's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Early's full recorded timeline at 1944, 33% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 67% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1984, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1927 peak of 88 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Early at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1927
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Early popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1927)
- 88
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Early popularity over time - girls
373 total births recorded since 1891 (Early as girls' name)
Early by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Early's strongest decade.
774 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Early births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 147
1880s
147 births
- 1890s 221
1890s
221 births
- 1900s 244
1900s
244 births
- 1910s
1910s
587 births
- 1920s
1920s
774 births
- 1930s
1930s
516 births
- 1940s
1940s
518 births
- 1950s
1950s
396 births
- 1960s 209
1960s
209 births
- 1970s 147
1970s
147 births
- 1980s 90
1980s
90 births
- 1990s 44
1990s
44 births
- 2000s 45
2000s
45 births
- 2010s 26
2010s
26 births
- 2020s 25
2020s
25 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 774 births (19% of all-time use).
How Early compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Early's total volume
Early vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Early by state
Where Early concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 405 | 10.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 371 | 9.3% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 269 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 252 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Virginia | | 169 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Texas | | 134 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 84 | 2.1% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 44 | 1.1% |
Alabama share of Early's total US births 10.2%
Even split
405 of 3,989 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Early appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Early? ▼
Early has been given to 3,989 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 88 babies were born in 1927, its single highest year.
When was Early most popular? ▼
Early was most popular in the 1920s decade with 774 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
Where is Early most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Early are Alabama (405 births), Georgia (371 births), North Carolina (269 births).
Is Early a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Early is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 3,989 births, and as a girl's name it has 373 births.
How long has the name Early been used? ▼
Records for Early go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Early? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Earl, Earnest, Earle, Earlie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Early's data
- Early's decade-level peak was the 1920s (774 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Earlys (405 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Early
Nearby Names Like Early
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Early
Earl Boy
#2156 289,174 births
Earnest Boy
#5443 58,389 births
Earle Boy
11,505 births
Earlie Boy
2,263 births
Earvin Boy
1,198 births
Compare Early side by side: Early vs Earl Early vs Earnest Early vs Earle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Early: Baby Name Since 1880 - 3,989 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/early. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Early draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.