How Many People Are Named Ernest?
An estimated 124,583 people in the United States have the first name Ernest. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #437 overall. It is predominantly male (99.4%). The average bearer is 64 years old, and Ernest peaked in popularity in 1921 with 5,723 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ernest as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Ernest paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Ernest is overwhelmingly male, 1,855 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Ernest has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
124,583
About 1 in 2,751 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.4% confidence
Average Age
64
years old
Peak Year
1921
5,723 births
Total Registered
304,137
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ernest
Ernest is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 304,137 total births registered, 99.4% were male.
Ernest as a male name
Ranked #1,083 in 2024
200 male births in 2024
Peak: 1921 (5,697 births)
Ernest as a female name
Ranked #8,159 in 1991
10 female births in 1991
Peak: 1927 (51 births)
Ernest: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ernest span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 54,033 babies were registered. Ernest has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Ernest by Decade
How has Ernest tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,727 | 6,700 | 27 | |
| 1890s | 7,919 | 7,877 | 42 | |
| 1900s | 8,715 | 8,657 | 58 | |
| 1910s | 37,310 | 37,134 | 176 | |
| 1920s | 54,033 | 53,653 | 380 | |
| 1930s | 39,627 | 39,346 | 281 | |
| 1940s | 41,985 | 41,762 | 223 | |
| 1950s | 39,874 | 39,679 | 195 | |
| 1960s | 27,095 | 26,892 | 203 | |
| 1970s | 16,909 | 16,756 | 153 | |
| 1980s | 11,343 | 11,236 | 107 | |
| 1990s | 6,064 | 6,054 | 10 | |
| 2000s | 3,332 | 3,332 | 0 | |
| 2010s | 2,211 | 2,211 | 0 | |
| 2020s | 993 | 993 | 0 | |
Ernest by State
Birth registrations for Ernest span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, New York. The lowest are in Nevada, Alaska, Wyoming. On average, about 5,425 Ernests were registered per state.
Ernest + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ernest as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ernest
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
Ernest: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ernest?
We estimate approximately 124,583 people named Ernest are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,751 Americans share this first name.
Is Ernest a common name?
Ernest is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 304,137 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ernest most popular?
Ernest reached peak popularity in 1921, when 5,723 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ernest is approximately 64 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Ernest a male name?
Ernest is predominantly male. 99.4% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Ernest Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ernest Smith, Ernest Johnson, Ernest Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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