Earl

Earl - A very unique male name

Earl appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #34. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Earl and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Earl? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Earl. The baby boy name Earl was given to 12 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2916 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 122,190 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Earl peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 31.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Earl, 1-5?

Earl is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Earl is currently topping the baby name charts in Michigan at position #1,154 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,142.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Earl is where you live.

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Earl origin and meaning

Old English

Nobleman, warrior

Earl comes from Old English eorl, 'nobleman, warrior, chief', a word that became the English noble title ranking below a marquess. As a given name it was once a giant: it peaked in 1921 with 6,746 births and totals over 263,000. It has fallen steadily ever since and now sits in the high 2000s — a grandad name that has not yet had its revival.

Attested etymology

Earl is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Earl, pop culture references for the name Earl and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Earl

We've found the following names that sound similar to Earl, sorted by popularity.

Earle / Errol / Early / Earlie / Erroll / Erol / Earley / Erle /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Earl

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Earl a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Earl?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

URL · /ɜːrl/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Earle — A variant spelling, also a surname.
• Errol — A related name; a separate established name.

Famous bearers

• Earl Warren — Chief Justice of the United States, who led the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1891–1974) Historical
• Earl Campbell — American football running back and Heisman Trophy winner (b. 1955) Contemporary
• Earl Scruggs — American banjo player who defined bluegrass banjo with Flatt and Scruggs (1924–2012) Contemporary

Style

ClassicOccupational

Why parents choose it

A former giant in deep retirement — noble in meaning, vintage in feel, waiting on a revival that has not come.

Worth knowing

• It reads as thoroughly dated to most parents; its 1921 peak is a century away.