How old is someone named Ernest?
The average Ernest is 61 years old.
Half of all living Ernests are between 50 and 75.
When was Ernest popular?
Ernest was at its most popular in the early 1920s. Parents have been moving away from it for decades, and 213 babies were named Ernest in 2025.
Popular names of 1921 · The most popular names of the 1920s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 8,715 | 0 |
| 1910s | 37,310 | 0 |
| 1920s | 54,033 | 300 |
| 1930s | 39,627 | 4,800 |
| 1940s | 41,985 | 18,000 |
| 1950s | 39,875 | 26,000 |
| 1960s | 27,095 | 22,000 |
| 1970s | 16,909 | 15,000 |
| 1980s | 11,343 | 11,000 |
| 1990s | 6,064 | 5,800 |
| 2000s | 3,332 | 3,300 |
| 2010s | 2,211 | 2,200 |
| 2020s | 1,209 | 1,200 |
How many Ernests are still alive?
About 110,000 Ernests are alive in the US today. That's 36% of the roughly 300,000 babies named Ernest since 1880.
Most Ernests ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1921, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Ernest?
About two in five living Ernests are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Ernest an old name?
Yes. Ernest is older than 90 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Ernest will be 63 in 2056, about the same as today.
Is Ernest a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely boys: 99.3% of living Ernests are men.
Names the same age as Ernest
NAME TWIN
Ernest's name twin is Vernon. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Vernon's age curve is the closest match to Ernest's: 96% alike.
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Questions about the name Ernest
How old is the average Ernest?
The average Ernest in the US is 61 years old. The median is 64, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Ernest?
About 110,000 Ernests are alive in the US today, out of roughly 300,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Ernest most popular?
In 1921, when about 5,700 baby boys were named Ernest.
Is Ernest a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 43% of living Ernests, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this