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BabyNames
Boy name#129 of boy names

Earl

Pronounced ER1 L (ARPABET)

  • 1 syllable
  • Peaked 1921
  • 145 years in use
  • 1 spelling
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How popular is Earl?

Earl is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 303,145 children — the 129th most common boys' name on record.

It has been slipping, down 36% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1921, when 7,085 children were given it.

Earle is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.

02,5005,0007,50010,00018901920195019802010
1921Boys: 7,085Girls: 55

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Earl and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Earle

Characteristics

  • 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
ER1 L
Stress pattern:
1
Syllables:
1

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Earl

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Earl

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Earl?
Earl ranks 129th among boys' names in US records, with 303,145 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 922.
Is Earl a unisex name?
No. Earl is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Earl most popular?
1921, when 7,085 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
How else is Earl spelled?
Earle. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.