Earl
Earl was the 2236th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked 20th; the most babies were born in 1921 (6,754). Over the last ten years it has moved down 881 places. More babies were named Earl in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning nobleman (title) · English, Old English
Say it URL /ɝl/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,236 boys, down 161 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 63boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19216,754 babies
- Total since 1880
- 291,421babies recorded
What does the name Earl mean?
Earl is the English title for a nobleman, from Old English eorl 'warrior, nobleman', used as a given name, as Wiktionary notes; it is also a surname for someone who served in an earl's household. It is one of several title names (with Duke and King) given in the US, and was very common around 1900-1920. Jazz pianist Earl Hines and actor James Earl Jones are well-known bearers.
eorl (Old English, “warrior, nobleman”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Earle, Errol, Earlene.
See also: English names, names that mean noble, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Earl', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'earl' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Earl popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,247 since 1881.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,236 | 63 |
| 2020 | #2,075 | 68 |
| 2010 | #1,443 | 115 |
| 2000 | #712 | 245 |
| 1990 | #407 | 569 |
| 1980 | #250 | 901 |
| 1970 | #173 | 1,630 |
| 1960 | #139 | 2,565 |
| 1950 | #92 | 3,589 |
| 1940 | #52 | 3,944 |
| 1930 | #38 | 5,567 |
| 1920 | #31 | 6,533 |
| 1910 | #33 | 1,109 |
| 1900 | #28 | 1,037 |
| 1890 | #24 | 744 |
| 1880 | #52 | 335 |
How popular is Earl, counting every spelling?
Earl has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Earl?
63 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Earl (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Earl born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 133 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Earl.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Earl?
About 84,200 people born in the US named Earl are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 54 and 77. That makes Earl a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Earl by state
How common Earl was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 39 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Earl: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Earl, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Earl · Sibling names for Earl
Questions about the name Earl
What does Earl mean?
Earl means “nobleman (title)” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Earl?
Earl was the 2236th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked 20th; the most babies were born in 1921 (6,754). Over the last ten years it has moved down 881 places. More babies were named Earl in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Earl a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Earl in the US.
Where is Earl most popular?
In 2021–2025, Earl was most common in Louisiana (0.08 per 1,000 boys), followed by Ohio and Minnesota.