Early
Early is both a surname and a given name which may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Early
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Early is both a surname and a given name which may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Early
As a girl name
American parents first put Early on the record books as a girl name in 1891, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1926, when 15 Earlys were born — ranking #2,351 that year. About 27% of every Early on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Early last appeared in the published SSA data in 2013, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 373 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Early on the record books as a boy name in 1880, with 11 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 88 Earlys were born — ranking #690 that year. Early last appeared in the published SSA data in 2022, with 10 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Early
Phonetically similar names — useful when Early is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Early
What does the name Early mean?
How popular is Early in 2026?
When was Early most popular?
In which U.S. states is Early most popular?
Is Early a unisex name?
What names go well with Early?
About the name Early
Early is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Early's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #690. Use the chart and map above to compare Early's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1927 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.