Given name & surname · also Old English
Earl
“a nobleman”
Earl is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a nobleman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a nobleman.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and Old English naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Earl through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 291,421
- 289,174 boys · 2,247 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 6,797 babies
- 2025
- 63
- #2,236 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 63 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,236 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 23.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 6,754 in 1921. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 92,567 as a first name in 2020; 15,377 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Earl’s family of names
Earl has a feminine form in Earline. In English usage, Earl has a related form in Errol. In English usage, Earl has a related form in Earle.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Earl has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Old English roots to each of them.
6 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 4
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Earl
- DMXAmerican rapper and actor (1970–2021)
- Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr.American pharmacologist (1915–1974)
- Earl WarrenChief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1953 to 1969 (1891–1974)
- Earl HollimanAmerican actor (1928–2024)
- Earl HinesAmerican jazz pianist (1903–1983)
- Earl BoykinsAmerican basketball player (born 1976)
- J. R. SmithAmerican professional basketball playerborn 1985
- Earl SweatshirtAmerican rapper and record producer (born 1994)
- Earl ScruggsAmerican musician (1924–2012)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Earl, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elton
“a spontaneous woman” · “from the old town”
99% boys · 1% girls
Erwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Edmond
“a wealthy protector”
>99% boys
Elden
“an old friend”
>99% boys
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Elbert
“a wellborn man” · “a bright man”
>99% boys
Weldon
“from the hill near a spring”
>99% boys
Eldon
“from the sacred hill”
>99% boys