The first name Earnest
A boy’s name.
2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
A male given name from the Germanic languages, of occasional usage, variant of Ernest.
A form of Ernest.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Earnest last appeared in the official list in 2018, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2009, with 3 births (#4,527).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Earnest with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Earnest at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 25 boys born in the United States were named Earnest, the 4,164th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1926, when 1,149 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.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Earnest
- Earnie
Famous people named Earnest
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Earnest HootonAmerican anthropologist (1887–1954)
Questions
- How popular is the name Earnest?
- In 2018, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Earnest, ranking 4,749th. Its peak was 2009, with 3 births.
- What are nicknames for Earnest?
- Common nicknames for Earnest include Earnie.
- Is Earnest a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 59,115 US babies named Earnest since 1880 were boys.
- When was Earnest most popular?
- 1926 in the United States, when 1,149 babies were named Earnest, its highest rank at 147th.
- What name is Earnest a form of?
- Earnest is a form of Ernest.
- Is Earnest also a surname?
- Yes. Earnest is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.