Earnest vs Nels

Baby Name Comparison — 2026

Earnest

Boy #5,461 Most Popular 2 Syllables

"serious, sincere, determined"

Origin: Old English word name

English American European

✓ All Clear

Boy #5,445 Most Popular 1 Syllable

"champion, cloud"

Origin: Irish Gaelic via Scandinavian

Scandinavian Swedish Norwegian Danish American

✓ All Clear

Earnest Rank #5,461

Nels Rank #5,445

Nels is more popular, ranked #5445 vs #5461 for Earnest.

Is Earnest or Nels more popular?

Nels is more popular, ranked #5445 compared to Earnest at #5461 in the United States.

What do Earnest and Nels mean?

Earnest means "serious, sincere, determined" (Old English word name origin). Nels means "champion, cloud" (Irish Gaelic via Scandinavian origin).

Are Earnest and Nels boy or girl names?

Earnest is primarily a boy name. Nels is primarily a boy name.