Ernest was a very popular boys' name that peaked at #21 in 1885 but is far less common today.
Ernest is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #1,040 for boy births in the United States (and #2,122 across all names), given to 213 babies. Ernest first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1921 (5,697 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 213 | 213 | — | #1,040 |
| 2024 | 202 | 202 | — | #1,077 |
| 2023 | 213 | 213 | — | #1,028 |
| 2022 | 186 | 186 | — | #1,131 |
| 2021 | 187 | 187 | — | #1,108 |
| 2020 | 208 | 208 | — | #1,009 |
| 2019 | 193 | 193 | — | #1,057 |
| 2018 | 215 | 215 | — | #965 |
| 2017 | 219 | 219 | — | #951 |
| 2016 | 210 | 210 | — | #977 |
| 2015 | 216 | 216 | — | #956 |
| 2014 | 247 | 247 | — | #878 |
| 2013 | 217 | 217 | — | #934 |
| 2012 | 223 | 223 | — | #923 |
| 2011 | 253 | 253 | — | #847 |
| 2010 | 218 | 218 | — | #926 |
| 2009 | 251 | 251 | — | #850 |
| 2008 | 277 | 277 | — | #793 |
| 2007 | 289 | 289 | — | #761 |
| 2006 | 298 | 298 | — | #725 |
| 2005 | 336 | 336 | — | #649 |
| 2004 | 368 | 368 | — | #595 |
| 2003 | 363 | 363 | — | #595 |
| 2002 | 353 | 353 | — | #591 |
| 2001 | 357 | 357 | — | #576 |
| 2000 | 440 | 440 | — | #514 |
| 1999 | 387 | 387 | — | #536 |
| 1998 | 450 | 450 | — | #485 |
| 1997 | 480 | — | — | #461 |
| 1996 | 517 | — | — | #437 |
| 1995 | 491 | — | — | #460 |
| 1994 | 591 | — | — | #392 |
| 1993 | 644 | — | — | #367 |
| 1992 | 721 | — | — | #337 |
| 1991 | 863 | — | #8,160 | #299 |
| 1990 | 920 | — | — | #283 |
| 1989 | 965 | — | #7,614 | #265 |
| 1988 | 1,011 | — | #7,904 | #239 |
| 1987 | 954 | — | #9,073 | #245 |
| 1986 | 1,017 | — | #6,757 | #233 |
| 1985 | 1,081 | — | #7,131 | #220 |
| 1984 | 1,159 | — | #6,022 | #203 |
| 1983 | 1,202 | — | #5,931 | #199 |
| 1982 | 1,254 | — | #5,011 | #200 |
| 1981 | 1,313 | — | #6,961 | #193 |
| 1980 | 1,387 | — | #4,381 | #180 |
| 1979 | 1,417 | — | #4,092 | #171 |
| 1978 | 1,388 | — | #7,871 | #171 |
| 1977 | 1,501 | — | #4,282 | #161 |
| 1976 | 1,498 | — | #4,013 | #160 |
| 1975 | 1,529 | — | #4,419 | #161 |
| 1974 | 1,657 | — | #4,089 | #150 |
| 1973 | 1,691 | — | #4,977 | #149 |
| 1972 | 1,783 | — | #3,763 | #147 |
| 1971 | 2,122 | — | #3,196 | #143 |
| 1970 | 2,323 | — | #3,341 | #143 |
| 1969 | 2,378 | — | #2,939 | #130 |
| 1968 | 2,258 | — | #4,066 | #130 |
| 1967 | 2,372 | — | #2,723 | #128 |
| 1966 | 2,513 | — | #4,994 | #122 |
| 1965 | 2,600 | — | #2,624 | #124 |
| 1964 | 2,840 | — | #2,556 | #124 |
| 1963 | 2,924 | — | #2,806 | #122 |
| 1962 | 2,873 | — | #2,482 | #127 |
| 1961 | 3,123 | — | #2,313 | #123 |
| 1960 | 3,214 | — | #2,460 | #120 |
| 1959 | 3,365 | — | #2,358 | #118 |
| 1958 | 3,539 | — | #2,406 | #113 |
| 1957 | 3,804 | — | #2,751 | #101 |
| 1956 | 3,979 | — | #2,116 | #94 |
| 1955 | 3,989 | — | #3,132 | #90 |
| 1954 | 4,219 | — | #2,726 | #87 |
| 1953 | 4,109 | — | #2,974 | #87 |
| 1952 | 4,146 | — | #2,149 | #87 |
| 1951 | 4,398 | — | #2,620 | #83 |
| 1950 | 4,327 | — | #2,278 | #81 |
| 1949 | 4,377 | — | #1,717 | #76 |
| 1948 | 4,532 | — | #2,207 | #76 |
| 1947 | 4,802 | — | #2,674 | #75 |
| 1946 | 4,408 | — | #2,775 | #71 |
| 1945 | 4,027 | — | #1,808 | #60 |
| 1944 | 4,072 | — | #1,498 | #59 |
| 1943 | 4,197 | — | #1,715 | #61 |
| 1942 | 4,104 | — | #1,678 | #61 |
| 1941 | 3,747 | — | #1,762 | #61 |
| 1940 | 3,719 | — | #1,759 | #58 |
| 1939 | 3,706 | — | #1,904 | #55 |
| 1938 | 3,742 | — | #1,252 | #55 |
| 1937 | 3,774 | — | #2,116 | #53 |
| 1936 | 3,745 | — | #1,329 | #55 |
| 1935 | 3,723 | — | #1,688 | #55 |
| 1934 | 3,876 | — | #1,423 | #51 |
| 1933 | 3,707 | — | #1,251 | #50 |
| 1932 | 4,201 | — | #1,223 | #47 |
| 1931 | 4,331 | — | #1,266 | #47 |
| 1930 | 4,822 | — | #1,278 | #43 |
| 1929 | 4,792 | — | #1,200 | #43 |
| 1928 | 4,987 | — | #1,120 | #43 |
| 1927 | 5,259 | — | #1,072 | #41 |
| 1926 | 5,473 | — | #1,289 | #37 |
| 1925 | 5,539 | — | #1,153 | #37 |
| 1924 | 5,722 | — | #1,286 | #37 |
| 1923 | 5,400 | — | #1,566 | #38 |
| 1922 | 5,537 | — | #1,380 | #37 |
| 1921 | 5,723 | — | #1,687 | #38 |
| 1920 | 5,601 | — | #1,323 | #37 |
| 1919 | 5,321 | — | #1,616 | #36 |
| 1918 | 5,559 | — | #1,365 | #37 |
| 1917 | 5,070 | — | #2,233 | #37 |
| 1916 | 4,850 | — | #1,416 | #36 |
| 1915 | 4,810 | — | #1,539 | #35 |
| 1914 | 3,650 | — | #1,563 | #38 |
| 1913 | 2,951 | — | #1,935 | #34 |
| 1912 | 2,578 | — | #2,031 | #32 |
| 1911 | 1,349 | — | #1,482 | #32 |
| 1910 | 1,172 | — | #2,528 | #31 |
| 1909 | 892 | — | #1,828 | #34 |
| 1908 | 1,005 | — | #2,216 | #31 |
| 1907 | 987 | — | #1,430 | #30 |
| 1906 | 943 | — | — | #28 |
| 1905 | 853 | — | #1,460 | #31 |
| 1904 | 758 | — | #1,297 | #32 |
| 1903 | 764 | — | — | #30 |
| 1902 | 796 | — | #1,661 | #29 |
| 1901 | 700 | — | #1,163 | #28 |
| 1900 | 1,017 | — | #2,023 | #30 |
| 1899 | 749 | — | #1,681 | #27 |
| 1898 | 846 | — | #1,414 | #28 |
| 1897 | 785 | — | — | #27 |
| 1896 | 764 | — | — | #29 |
| 1895 | 845 | — | #1,009 | #24 |
| 1894 | 821 | — | — | #24 |
| 1893 | 801 | — | #1,497 | #23 |
| 1892 | 819 | — | #807 | #26 |
| 1891 | 715 | — | — | #22 |
| 1890 | 774 | — | — | #22 |
| 1889 | 745 | — | #921 | #23 |
| 1888 | 772 | — | #1,183 | #27 |
| 1887 | 660 | — | #977 | #23 |
| 1886 | 673 | — | #1,162 | #25 |
| 1885 | 718 | — | — | #21 |
| 1884 | 690 | — | — | #25 |
| 1883 | 641 | — | — | #23 |
| 1882 | 642 | — | — | #27 |
| 1881 | 571 | — | — | #25 |
| 1880 | 615 | — | — | #26 |