Ernest
Borrowed in the 18th century from Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”), only remotely related to modern German ernst or…
Every Ernest since 1880 — 304,354 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ernest
Ernest is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,040 in 2025 with 213 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 304,354 American babies have been named Ernest. Its peak came in 1921, when 5,723 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ernest stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ernest year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 213 | #1,040 |
| 2024 | — | — | 202 | #1,077 |
| 2023 | — | — | 213 | #1,028 |
| 2022 | — | — | 186 | #1,131 |
| 2021 | — | — | 187 | #1,108 |
| 2020 | — | — | 208 | #1,009 |
| 2019 | — | — | 193 | #1,057 |
| 2018 | — | — | 215 | #965 |
| 2017 | — | — | 219 | #951 |
| 2016 | — | — | 210 | #977 |
| 2015 | — | — | 216 | #956 |
| 2014 | — | — | 247 | #878 |
| 2013 | — | — | 217 | #934 |
| 2012 | — | — | 223 | #923 |
| 2011 | — | — | 253 | #847 |
| 2010 | — | — | 218 | #926 |
| 2009 | — | — | 251 | #850 |
| 2008 | — | — | 277 | #793 |
| 2007 | — | — | 289 | #761 |
| 2006 | — | — | 298 | #725 |
| 2005 | — | — | 336 | #649 |
| 2004 | — | — | 368 | #595 |
| 2003 | — | — | 363 | #595 |
| 2002 | — | — | 353 | #591 |
| 2001 | — | — | 357 | #576 |
| 2000 | — | — | 440 | #514 |
| 1995 | — | — | 491 | #460 |
| 1990 | — | — | 920 | #283 |
| 1985 | 9 | #7,131 | 1,072 | #220 |
| 1980 | 17 | #4,381 | 1,370 | #180 |
| 1975 | 14 | #4,419 | 1,515 | #161 |
| 1970 | 19 | #3,341 | 2,304 | #143 |
| 1965 | 22 | #2,624 | 2,578 | #124 |
| 1960 | 24 | #2,460 | 3,190 | #120 |
| 1955 | 14 | #3,132 | 3,975 | #90 |
| 1950 | 19 | #2,278 | 4,308 | #81 |
| 1945 | 22 | #1,808 | 4,005 | #60 |
| 1940 | 21 | #1,759 | 3,698 | #58 |
| 1935 | 21 | #1,688 | 3,702 | #55 |
| 1930 | 35 | #1,278 | 4,787 | #43 |
| 1925 | 45 | #1,153 | 5,494 | #37 |
| 1920 | 35 | #1,323 | 5,566 | #37 |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,539 | 4,787 | #35 |
| 1910 | 5 | #2,528 | 1,167 | #31 |
| 1905 | 8 | #1,460 | 845 | #31 |
| 1900 | 5 | #2,023 | 1,012 | #30 |
| 1895 | 11 | #1,009 | 834 | #24 |
| 1890 | — | — | 774 | #22 |
| 1885 | — | — | 718 | #21 |
| 1880 | — | — | 615 | #26 |
Famous people named Ernest
- Ernest Hemingway Writer · 1899–1961
- Ernest Rutherford Physicist · 1871–1937
- Ernest Renan Philosopher · 1823–1892
- Ernest Borgnine Actor · 1917–2012
- Ernest Lawrence Physicist · 1901–1958
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ernest mean?
Borrowed in the 18th century from Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”), only remotely related to modern German ernst or English earnest.
How popular is the name Ernest in 2025?
Ernest ranked #1,040 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 213 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ernest?
304,354 babies have been named Ernest in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ernest most popular?
Ernest peaked in 1921, when 5,723 newborns received the name.
Is Ernest a boy or girl name?
Ernest is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ernest rising or falling?
Ernest has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Ernest?
Well-known people named Ernest include Ernest Hemingway (writer), Ernest Rutherford (physicist), Ernest Renan (philosopher).