The first name Earl
A boy’s name meaning “nobleman”.
Pronounced /ɝl/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Earl means “nobleman”.
From earl (“nobleman”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Earl last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 5 boys. It peaked in 2007, with 12 births (#1,666).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Earl with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Earl at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 63 boys born in the United States were named Earl, the 2,236th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 6,754 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Earl in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Earl
124 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- James Earl JonesAmerican actor (1931–2024)
- Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr.American pharmacologist (1915–1974)
- Earl WarrenChief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1953 to 1969 (1891–1974)
- James Earl RayAmerican criminal, convicted for the murder of civil rights activist and Nobel peace prize, 1928–1998
- Earl HollimanAmerican actor (1928–2024)
- Earl HinesAmerican jazz pianist (1903–1983)
- Earl BoykinsAmerican basketball player (born 1976)
- Earl ScruggsAmerican musician (1924–2012)
- Earl Derr BiggersAmerican novelist and playwright (1884–1933)
- Earl SweatshirtAmerican rapper and record producer (born 1994)
- Earl BoenAmerican actor (1941–2023)
- Earl MonroeAmerican basketball player (born 1944)
Questions
- What does the name Earl mean?
- Earl means “nobleman”.
- How popular is the name Earl?
- In 2024, 5 boys born in England and Wales were named Earl, ranking 3,688th. Its peak was 2007, with 12 births.
- Is Earl a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 291,421 US babies named Earl since 1880 were boys.
- When was Earl most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 6,754 babies were named Earl, its highest rank at 31st.
- How do you pronounce Earl?
- Earl is /ɝl/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Earl?
- Earle.
- Is Earl also a surname?
- Yes. Earl is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.