US births per decade — source: Social Security Administration
Earnest is predominantly a male name in the United States, and has declined in use since the 1950s. There are approximately 15,000 people named Earnest in the US today.
The name Earnest's root letters are ERN.
The excitable and emotional letter E combines with the ravishingly romantic letter R to form an amalgam that positively reeks with ardor. We see the ER’s effects in the words: erotic, erectile, eruption, erratic, hero, and erstwhile. However, the negative letter N (no, not, never, nowhere, and none) imparts a distinctly sobering element to these otherwise ebullient names (think of stern, aversion, belligerent, concern, derision, and errant) and infers someone with contrary views on life. In short, ERN personalities are characterized by fervor and zeal with just a pinch of pessimism and self-doubt.
Because Earnests mask their moods with superficial displays of perkiness you can’t tell from casual encounters if they are feeling low; in fact you’re more likely to be won over by their finely honed social skills. You also aren’t likely to encounter their darker moods in the workplace, unless their job involves some form of intimate contact with their coworkers. The darker aspects of the Earnests’ personalities will only surface once they’ve decided that you’re capable of keeping their secrets.
When Earnests are feeling frisky there’s little that can stop them from achieving their goals. At work, they prove to be highly motivated employees who are quite willing to pick up the slack and do the dirty work that no one else wants to do, and seem to be driven by a need to prove themselves to be a little better than the rest. This habit of trying their hardest in everything they do extends to their personal relationships as well as casual pursuits like board games.
Many Earnests are drawn to intense occupations that trigger their adrenalin and it’s not unusual for them to flirt with danger as a way of making sure their emotional packages are in working order. This explains why such a high percentage of Earnests become policemen, soldiers, nurses and CIA agents, while the less adventurous among them will likely apply their emotional acuteness to counseling, childcare or teaching.
Like most people whose names begin with the letter E, Earnests are naturally empathetic, and in their social transactions demonstrate authentic concern for their friends. But while they form solid friendships easily, the same cannot be said for their intimate relationships. Here Earnests prove to be finicky creatures who often delay making ‘the big decision’ until the last possible moment. Earnests are so emotionally independent, and their friendships so strong, that single-life holds no terrors.
