Boys' name · peaked in 2002
Ernesto name popularity since 1925
43,748 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Ernesto. Half of them were born in 1989 or earlier, so the typical Ernesto is about 37 years old in 2026. Ernesto peaked in 2002 as the #324 name for boys, and it ranked #878 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 43,748
- Named Ernesto, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #878
- for boys in 2025 (272 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.7% boys
- 121 girls · 43,627 boys
- Most popular in
- New Mexico
- 4.77× its national share
Peak year is the year Ernesto made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Ernesto births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 2003. Measured as a share of all babies, Ernesto peaked in 2002.
- Steepest fall: Between 2008 and 2013, Ernesto's share of baby boys fell by 41%, from 1 in 2,830 to 1 in 4,830.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Ernesto's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Ernesto.
Decade by decade
Babies named Ernesto in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 665 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 1,326 | #504 |
| 1940s | 0 | 1,794 | #444 |
| 1950s | 0 | 2,861 | #458 |
| 1960s | 11 | 3,604 | #414 |
| 1970s | 35 | 5,079 | #339 |
| 1980s | 41 | 6,655 | #319 |
| 1990s | 29 | 8,111 | #329 |
| 2000s | 5 | 7,802 | #368 |
| 2010s | 0 | 4,093 | #638 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 1,637 | #878 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
26.9% of babies named Ernesto from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Ernesto is most popular
The index compares Ernesto's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Ernesto.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 4.77× | 1,078 |
| Arizona | 4.27× | 2,264 |
| Texas | 3.92× | 12,582 |
| California | 3.53× | 15,285 |
| Florida | 1.05× | 1,552 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Ernesto's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Ernesto.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Ernesto (2002).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data