Earnest
Meaning: “vigor, strife”
About the name Earnest
Earnest is a boy name with Old High German roots, meaning “vigor, strife”. It is related to Ernest, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a vintage, unique feel. In 2025, Earnest ranked #4164 for boys in the US, with 25 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1947. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Earnest were boys.
Etymology
A variant of Ernest, which comes from Old High German, meaning “vigor, strife”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Earnest”, “Ernest”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #4164
- In 2015
- #3386
- Babies in 2025
- 25
Popularity of Earnest, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Names similar to Earnest
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.