Holding steady.
Popularity of Earlene since 1901
Babies named Earlene per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1947, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Earlene's real moment was 1938.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 51 |
| 1910s | 613 |
| 1920s | 2,144 |
| 1930s | 3,264 |
| 1940s | 3,689 |
| 1950s | 2,615 |
| 1960s | 1,143 |
| 1970s | 362 |
| 1980s | 196 |
| 1990s | 83 |
| 2000s | 5 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Earlene first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1901, a time when feminine variants of male names were gaining popularity. It reached its highest usage in 1938, the peak year, during an era when names like Darlene and Marlene also flourished. The name's trajectory has been stable but minimal since the 1960s, and it has not ranked in the top 1000 for decades. Despite its vintage charm, Earlene remains a rare choice, with a 1-in-N ratio effectively too low to calculate from recent data.
Earlene is a modern coinage from the early 20th century, formed by blending the masculine name Earl (derived from the Old English eorl, meaning 'nobleman') with the feminine suffix -ene, a variant of -ine or -een. The name first appeared in U.S. birth records around 1901 and peaked in popularity during the 1930s, reflecting a broader trend of creating feminine variants of male names in that era.
Where Earlene is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Earlie, Lena, Earl
Sibling names for Earlene
Names that share Earlene's style, for a brother or sister.
