Given name & surname · also American
Early
“daughter born prematurely”·“one who is punctual”·“from Earl's meadow”
Early is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “daughter born prematurely”, “one who is punctual”, and “from Earl's meadow”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “daughter born prematurely”, “one who is punctual”, and “from Earl's meadow”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with American and 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
Early through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,362
- 3,989 boys · 373 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 99 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #7,817 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 100% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,817 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 88 in 1927. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,159 as a first name in 2020; 13,316 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.
Early’s family of names
Early has a related form in Earlie. Early has a related form in Erly. Early has a related form in Earley.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Early
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Early, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Irving
“a triend of the sea”
>99% boys
Orrin
“from the river”
>99% boys
Hurley
“a healthy woman” · “of the sea tide”
96% boys · 4% girls
Wilton
“from the town on the river”
>99% boys
Earl
“a nobleman”
>99% boys
Ervin
“friend of the sea”
>99% boys
Mervin
“a friend of the sea”
>99% boys
Irvin
“a triend of the sea”
>99% boys