Total births
58,389
Boys' name · since 1880
Earnest
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 58,389 babies named Earnest, peaking in 1926. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5443
- among boys today
- 58,389
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Earnest currently ranks #5443 among boys' names in America, with 58,389 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Earnest has been recorded 58,389 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #5443 nationally and more common than 62% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5443 among boys today
- 58,389 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 62% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Earnest is currently the #5443 boys' name in America, more common than 62% of boys - 58,389 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5443
- among boys today
- 58,389
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Earnest vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5443
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 62% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Earnest was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
1,149 babies were named Earnest in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Earnest compares
58,389 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Earnest's all-time total is 159x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Earnest | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 58,389 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,149 | 23 | 22,252 |
Earnest's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Earnest's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 28% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 72%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2024, with only 17 births recorded -- set against the 1926 peak of 1,149, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Earnest at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#5,443
Active since
1880
Earnest popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 1,149
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Earnest popularity over time - girls
726 total births recorded since 1898 (Earnest as girls' name)
Earnest by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Earnest's strongest decade.
10,869 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Earnest births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,043
1880s
1,043 births
- 1890s 1,390
1890s
1,390 births
- 1900s 1,907
1900s
1,907 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,856 births
- 1920s
1920s
10,869 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,722 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,706 births
- 1950s
1950s
7,310 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,515 births
- 1970s 2,961
1970s
2,961 births
- 1980s 1,995
1980s
1,995 births
- 1990s 1,053
1990s
1,053 births
- 2000s 559
2000s
559 births
- 2010s 364
2010s
364 births
- 2020s 139
2020s
139 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 10,869 births (19% of all-time use).
How Earnest 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 Earnest's total volume
Earnest vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Earnest by state
Where Earnest concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 5,300 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 4,829 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 4,827 | 8.3% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 4,723 | 8.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 2,968 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 2,861 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 2,759 | 4.7% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 2,672 | 4.6% |
Texas share of Earnest's total US births 9.1%
Even split
5,300 of 58,389 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Earnest appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Earnest? ▼
58,389 babies have been named Earnest since 1880. It currently ranks #5443 among boys. The peak year was 1926 with 1,149 births.
When was Earnest most popular? ▼
Earnest was most popular in the 1920s decade with 10,869 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Earnest most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Earnest are Texas (5,300 births), Alabama (4,829 births), Georgia (4,827 births).
How long has the name Earnest been used? ▼
Earnest has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Earnest? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Earl, Earle, Early, Earlie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Earnest's data
- Earnest's decade-level peak was the 1920s (10,869 total births); usage has since declined to 139 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Earnests (5,300 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Earnest
Nearby Names Like Earnest
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Earnest
Earl Boy
#2156 289,174 births
Earle Boy
11,505 births
Early Boy
3,989 births
Earlie Boy
2,263 births
Earvin Boy
1,198 births
Compare Earnest side by side: Earnest vs Earl Earnest vs Earle Earnest vs Early
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Earnest
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. "Earnest: #5443 Boys' Name - 58,389 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/earnest. 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 Earnest 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.