Ernest
Last seen for girls in 1991 at #7,987 · #1,038 for boys in 2025, 213 births
Given to boys 99.4% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1885 · 718 births
- Debut · boys
- 615 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 77 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 302,499since 1880
Ernest over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,038 | 213 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,076 | 202 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,024 | 213 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,131 | 186 | |
| 2021 | — | #1,108 | 187 | |
| 2020 | — | #1,009 | 208 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,057 | 193 | |
| 2018 | — | #964 | 215 | |
| 2017 | — | #951 | 219 | |
| 2016 | — | #977 | 210 | |
| 2015 | — | #955 | 216 | |
| 2014 | — | #877 | 247 | |
| 2013 | — | #934 | 217 | |
| 2012 | — | #922 | 223 | |
| 2011 | — | #846 | 253 | |
| 2010 | — | #925 | 218 | |
| 2009 | — | #850 | 251 | |
| 2008 | — | #791 | 277 | |
| 2007 | — | #759 | 289 | |
| 2006 | — | #724 | 298 | |
| 2005 | — | #648 | 336 | |
| 2004 | — | #595 | 368 | |
| 2003 | — | #594 | 363 | |
| 2002 | — | #591 | 353 | |
| 2001 | — | #576 | 357 | |
| 2000 | — | #514 | 440 | |
| 1999 | — | #536 | 387 | |
| 1998 | — | #485 | 450 | |
| 1997 | — | #460 | 480 | |
| 1996 | — | #435 | 517 | |
| 1995 | — | #460 | 491 | |
| 1994 | — | #392 | 591 | |
| 1993 | — | #367 | 644 | |
| 1992 | — | #337 | 721 | |
| 1991 | #7,987 | 10 | #299 | 853 |
| 1990 | — | #283 | 920 | |
| 1989 | #7,449 | 10 | #265 | 955 |
| 1988 | #7,691 | 9 | #239 | 1,002 |
| 1987 | #8,778 | 7 | #245 | 947 |
| 1986 | #6,612 | 10 | #233 | 1,007 |
| 1985 | #6,955 | 9 | #220 | 1,072 |
| 1984 | #5,899 | 11 | #203 | 1,148 |
| 1983 | #5,824 | 11 | #199 | 1,191 |
| 1982 | #4,945 | 14 | #200 | 1,240 |
| 1981 | #6,804 | 9 | #193 | 1,304 |
| 1980 | #4,327 | 17 | #180 | 1,370 |
| 1979 | #4,052 | 18 | #171 | 1,399 |
| 1978 | #7,649 | 7 | #171 | 1,381 |
| 1977 | #4,235 | 16 | #161 | 1,485 |
| 1976 | #3,963 | 16 | #160 | 1,482 |
| 1975 | #4,370 | 14 | #161 | 1,515 |
| 1974 | #4,041 | 15 | #150 | 1,642 |
| 1973 | #4,871 | 11 | #149 | 1,680 |
| 1972 | #3,714 | 16 | #147 | 1,767 |
| 1971 | #3,166 | 21 | #143 | 2,101 |
| 1970 | #3,311 | 19 | #143 | 2,304 |
| 1969 | #2,917 | 21 | #130 | 2,357 |
| 1968 | #4,000 | 12 | #130 | 2,246 |
| 1967 | #2,706 | 21 | #128 | 2,351 |
| 1966 | #4,866 | 8 | #122 | 2,505 |
| 1965 | #2,605 | 22 | #124 | 2,578 |
| 1964 | #2,530 | 24 | #124 | 2,816 |
| 1963 | #2,780 | 20 | #122 | 2,904 |
| 1962 | #2,463 | 24 | #127 | 2,849 |
| 1961 | #2,299 | 27 | #123 | 3,096 |
| 1960 | #2,432 | 24 | #120 | 3,190 |
| 1959 | #2,339 | 24 | #118 | 3,341 |
| 1958 | #2,376 | 23 | #113 | 3,516 |
| 1957 | #2,727 | 18 | #101 | 3,786 |
| 1956 | #2,103 | 27 | #94 | 3,952 |
| 1955 | #3,095 | 14 | #90 | 3,975 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #87 | 4,202 |
| 1953 | #2,921 | 14 | #87 | 4,095 |
| 1952 | #2,126 | 23 | #87 | 4,123 |
| 1951 | #2,577 | 16 | #83 | 4,382 |
| 1950 | #2,253 | 19 | #81 | 4,308 |
| 1949 | #1,697 | 31 | #76 | 4,346 |
| 1948 | #2,188 | 20 | #76 | 4,512 |
| 1947 | #2,637 | 15 | #75 | 4,787 |
| 1946 | #2,739 | 13 | #71 | 4,395 |
| 1945 | #1,795 | 22 | #60 | 4,005 |
| 1944 | #1,486 | 30 | #59 | 4,042 |
| 1943 | #1,703 | 25 | #61 | 4,172 |
| 1942 | #1,668 | 25 | #61 | 4,079 |
| 1941 | #1,750 | 21 | #61 | 3,726 |
| 1940 | #1,745 | 21 | #58 | 3,698 |
| 1939 | #1,881 | 18 | #55 | 3,688 |
| 1938 | #1,250 | 34 | #55 | 3,708 |
| 1937 | #2,101 | 15 | #53 | 3,759 |
| 1936 | #1,321 | 30 | #55 | 3,715 |
| 1935 | #1,663 | 21 | #55 | 3,702 |
| 1934 | #1,409 | 27 | #51 | 3,849 |
| 1933 | #1,244 | 33 | #50 | 3,674 |
| 1932 | #1,213 | 35 | #47 | 4,166 |
| 1931 | #1,258 | 33 | #47 | 4,298 |
| 1930 | #1,274 | 35 | #43 | 4,787 |
| 1929 | #1,195 | 39 | #43 | 4,753 |
| 1928 | #1,115 | 46 | #43 | 4,941 |
| 1927 | #1,071 | 51 | #41 | 5,208 |
| 1926 | #1,279 | 37 | #37 | 5,436 |
| 1925 | #1,150 | 45 | #37 | 5,494 |
| 1924 | #1,279 | 39 | #37 | 5,683 |
| 1923 | #1,556 | 28 | #38 | 5,372 |
| 1922 | #1,366 | 34 | #37 | 5,503 |
| 1921 | #1,668 | 26 | #38 | 5,697 |
| 1920 | #1,312 | 35 | #37 | 5,566 |
| 1919 | #1,604 | 25 | #36 | 5,296 |
| 1918 | #1,360 | 32 | #37 | 5,527 |
| 1917 | #2,204 | 15 | #37 | 5,055 |
| 1916 | #1,408 | 27 | #36 | 4,823 |
| 1915 | #1,523 | 23 | #35 | 4,787 |
| 1914 | #1,541 | 18 | #38 | 3,632 |
| 1913 | #1,883 | 11 | #34 | 2,940 |
| 1912 | #1,981 | 9 | #32 | 2,569 |
| 1911 | #1,450 | 11 | #32 | 1,338 |
| 1910 | #2,398 | 5 | #31 | 1,167 |
| 1909 | #1,763 | 7 | #34 | 885 |
| 1908 | #2,101 | 5 | #31 | 1,000 |
| 1907 | #1,384 | 9 | #30 | 978 |
| 1906 | — | #28 | 943 | |
| 1905 | #1,420 | 8 | #31 | 845 |
| 1904 | #1,251 | 9 | #32 | 749 |
| 1903 | — | #30 | 764 | |
| 1902 | #1,594 | 6 | #29 | 790 |
| 1901 | #1,136 | 9 | #28 | 691 |
| 1900 | #1,932 | 5 | #30 | 1,012 |
| 1899 | #1,596 | 5 | #27 | 744 |
| 1898 | #1,379 | 7 | #28 | 839 |
| 1897 | — | #27 | 785 | |
| 1896 | — | #29 | 764 | |
| 1895 | #986 | 11 | #24 | 834 |
| 1894 | — | #24 | 821 | |
| 1893 | #1,437 | 5 | #23 | 796 |
| 1892 | #796 | 14 | #26 | 805 |
| 1891 | — | #22 | 715 | |
| 1890 | — | #22 | 774 | |
| 1889 | #902 | 9 | #23 | 736 |
| 1888 | #1,136 | 6 | #27 | 766 |
| 1887 | #937 | 7 | #23 | 653 |
| 1886 | #1,108 | 5 | #25 | 668 |
| 1885 | — | #21 | 718 | |
| 1884 | — | #25 | 690 | |
| 1883 | — | #23 | 641 | |
| 1882 | — | #27 | 642 | |
| 1881 | — | #25 | 571 | |
| 1880 | — | #26 | 615 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Ernest was already there! It came in at #26, and was given to 615 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 2008–2025, when fewer than 280 boys a year got the name.
Where Ernest is popular in 1987
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Delaware#89 · 1 in 515
- New Mexico#98 · 1 in 438
- Rhode Island#128 · 1 in 1,037
- Virginia#166 · 1 in 1,126
- Alaska#167 · 1 in 889
Best ever in a state: #8 in Hawaii, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | #89 | 8 | 1 in 515 |
| New Mexico | #98 | 26 | 1 in 438 |
| Rhode Island | #128 | 6 | 1 in 1,037 |
| Virginia | #166 | 35 | 1 in 1,126 |
| Alaska | #167 | 5 | 1 in 889 |
| North Carolina | #172 | 36 | 1 in 1,153 |
| West Virginia | #176 | 7 | 1 in 1,510 |
| Kentucky | #182 | 15 | 1 in 1,592 |
| Connecticut | #188 | 13 | 1 in 1,643 |
| District of Columbia | #195 | 8 | 1 in 1,002 |
| Louisiana | #199 | 32 | 1 in 1,005 |
| Idaho | #201 | 5 | 1 in 1,312 |
| South Carolina | #204 | 17 | 1 in 1,261 |
| Alabama | #205 | 19 | 1 in 1,333 |
| New Jersey | #211 | 30 | 1 in 1,664 |
| Indiana | #214 | 18 | 1 in 2,052 |
| Maryland | #215 | 17 | 1 in 1,712 |
| Georgia | #225 | 30 | 1 in 1,519 |
| Arizona | #231 | 19 | 1 in 1,494 |
| Ohio | #232 | 32 | 1 in 2,384 |
| Pennsylvania | #232 | 34 | 1 in 2,282 |
| California | #235 | 152 | 1 in 1,571 |
| Texas | #238 | 104 | 1 in 1,379 |
| Kansas | #250 | 8 | 1 in 2,068 |
| New York | #252 | 69 | 1 in 1,821 |
| Missouri | #253 | 15 | 1 in 2,383 |
| Florida | #256 | 46 | 1 in 1,729 |
| Massachusetts | #257 | 14 | 1 in 2,914 |
| Minnesota | #260 | 9 | 1 in 3,388 |
| Colorado | #262 | 11 | 1 in 2,233 |
| Mississippi | #263 | 10 | 1 in 1,637 |
| Oregon | #276 | 7 | 1 in 2,535 |
| Illinois | #336 | 28 | 1 in 2,918 |
| Tennessee | #343 | 9 | 1 in 3,581 |
| Washington | #370 | 8 | 1 in 3,965 |
| Michigan | #396 | 13 | 1 in 4,972 |
| Wisconsin | #422 | 5 | 1 in 6,480 |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Ernest
- 38 spots since 2024 (#1,076 → #1,038)
- 29 spots since 2020 (#1,009 → #1,038)
- 83 spots since 2015 (#955 → #1,038)
- Biggest jump: 79 spots in 2011 (#925 → #846)
- Biggest drop: 93 spots in 2019 (#964 → #1,057)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1885 at #21 (718 births)
- Births halved by 2001, 116 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 77 yrs · run 1880–1956
- Top 1,000: 139 yrs · run 1880–2018
- Highest: 1 in 141 boys born in 1895 were named Ernest (0.71%)
- Latest: 1 in 8,019 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #21 in 1885, was only 1 in 150 (0.67%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 17.7% of all boys named Ernest (53,653) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,700 | #21 (1885) | #25 |
| 1890s | 7,877 | #22 (1890) | #25 |
| 1900s | 8,657 | #28 (1906) | #30 |
| 1910s | 37,134 | #31 (1910) | #35 |
| 1920s | 53,653 | #37 (1924) | #39 |
| 1930s | 39,346 | #43 (1930) | #51 |
| 1940s | 41,762 | #58 (1940) | #66 |
| 1950s | 39,680 | #81 (1950) | #94 |
| 1960s | 26,892 | #120 (1960) | #125 |
| 1970s | 16,756 | #143 (1970) | #156 |
| 1980s | 11,236 | #180 (1980) | #218 |
| 1990s | 6,054 | #283 (1990) | #405 |
| 2000s | 3,332 | #514 (2000) | #664 |
| 2010s | 2,211 | #846 (2011) | #941 |
| 2020s | 1,209 | #1,009 (2020) | #1,064 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Ernest in 1987
Top girls' names in 1987
Top boys' names in 1987
More about 1987
girls
1,738,632 girls got a published name in 1987; 1 in 248,376 of them was named Ernest, which outranked 33.8% of the 13,263 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #7,987Yumiko8
- #7,987Zaynab8
- #7,987Zully8
- #8,778Ernest7
- #8,778Aarti7
- #8,778Aasha7
- #8,778Abilene7
- #9,825Abbigayle6
- #9,825Abibail6
- #9,825Abiola6
Tied with 1,046 names at #8,778; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,866,984 boys got a published name in 1987; 1 in 1,971 of them was named Ernest, which outranked 97.0% of the 8,152 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.