Ernie
Ernie is a masculine given name, frequently a short form (hypocorism) of Ernest, Ernald, Ernesto, or Verner. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Ernie
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ernie is a masculine given name, frequently a short form (hypocorism) of Ernest, Ernald, Ernesto, or Verner. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ernie
Ernie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 450 Ernies were born — ranking #370 that year. As of 2026, Ernie ranks #6,117 for baby boys with 14 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 17K Ernies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ernie
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ernie Accorsi (born 1941), American football executive
- Ernie Adams (disambiguation)
- Ernie Afaganis (born c. 1933), Canadian sports announcer
- Ernie Althoff (born 1950), Australian musician and composer
- Ernie Anastos (born 1943), American television journalist
- Ernie Anderson (1923–1997), American radio and television announcer
- Ernie Ashcroft (1925–1985), English rugby league footballer
- Ernie Ball (1930–2004), American guitarist and businessman
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ernie
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ernie 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 Ernie
What does the name Ernie mean?
How popular is Ernie in 2026?
When was Ernie most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ernie most popular?
Is Ernie a unisex name?
What names go well with Ernie?
About the name Ernie
Ernie is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Ernie's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #304. Use the chart and map above to compare Ernie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.