Earl

Did you know?

A few things about Earl you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Earl

Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr.

American pharmacologist (1915–1974)

Choose Earl and your child shares a first name with Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr., an American pharmacologist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Earl, like who?” Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr.'s Wikipedia article is available in 50 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr. on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 27,100 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Earl, 63 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Earl would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryEarl has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Earls, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1894, when it ranked #20. Today it's #2,230, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowEarl was 3.4× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 8,019 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 27,100.
• 🍂TrendEarl has slipped 161 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,230. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Earl means “nobleman”. Our records link it to Celtic Gaelic, English and Irish roots.

About the name Earl

Earl is a boy name of Celtic Gaelic, English and Irish origin meaning “nobleman”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with E and ending in “-arl”. US birth records list Earl for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1894, when it ranked #20 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,230, with 63 babies.

Origin:Celtic Gaelic namesEnglish namesIrish names