Home / Name Directory / Earnest
How Many People Are Named Earnest?
Estimated people named Earnest living in the U.S. today
22,339
Gender distribution
99% male · 1% female in SSA records.
Name scorecard
- Total U.S. births recorded (1880–2024): 59,092
- Peak year: 1926 (1,159 births)
- Estimated living today: 22,339
Earnest by age group — who carries the name today?
Earnest popularity over time (1880–2024)
Estimated living bearers by birth decade
About the name Earnest
Earnest has been recorded by the Social Security Administration since the 19th century dataset began. In total, 59,092 babies were given the name in the United States between 1880 and 2024. After adjusting each birth cohort for survival to today, an estimated 22,339 bearers are still living — roughly 1 in 15,301 Americans. The name's strongest decade shapes how old most Earnests you meet will be, which the age-group breakdown above shows directly. All figures are statistical estimates from public records; see our methodology for sources, the survival model, and the limits of the data (names given to fewer than five babies in a year are not published by the SSA).
Frequently asked questions
How many people are named Earnest in the US?
An estimated 22,339 people named Earnest are living in the United States today, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for survival. That makes Earnest rare — about 1 in 15,301 Americans.
Is Earnest a boy or girl name?
In SSA records, Earnest is 99% male and 1% female, so it is predominantly a male name.
When was Earnest most popular?
Earnest peaked in 1926, when 1,159 babies were given the name. Its current trend is declining compared with the previous decade.
How rare is the name Earnest?
Earnest ranks #1,496 of 104,819 first names recorded by the SSA, with a rarity score of 49 out of 100 (higher means rarer).