Honest
Honesty or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.
Meaning & Origin of Honest
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Honesty or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Honest
As a girl name
American parents first put Honest on the record books as a girl name in 2006, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 50 Honests were born — ranking #3,217 that year. About 60% of every Honest on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Honest ranks #4,187 for girls with 34 births, rising sharply (+44% over the past five years). All told, over 368 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Honest as a boy name dates back to 2012, when 5 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 42 newborns named Honest — #2,965 in the national rankings. About 73% of every Honest on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Honest ranks #2,965 for boys with 42 births, rising sharply (+87% over the past five years). All told, over 338 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2010s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Honest
Phonetically similar names — useful when Honest 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 Honest
What does the name Honest mean?
How popular is Honest in 2026?
When was Honest most popular?
In which U.S. states is Honest most popular?
Is Honest a unisex name?
What names go well with Honest?
About the name Honest
Honest is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2006 and has accumulated 368 births in the dataset. Honest's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #3,217. Use the chart and map above to compare Honest's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl 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.