Declining since 2018, #1,611 for girls today.
Popularity of Honesty since 1975
Babies named Honesty per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 57 |
| 1980s | 86 |
| 1990s | 245 |
| 2000s | 1,397 |
| 2010s | 2,255 |
| 2020s | 1,005 |
Meaning & origin
Honesty entered the U.S. baby name landscape in 1975, a latecomer among virtue names. It reached its peak popularity in 2019, ranking 1611 nationally, with roughly 1 in 12,459 newborns receiving the name that year. The name has been declining since 2018, reflecting a broader shift away from some turn-of-the-millennium naming trends. Its strongest associations are in South Carolina, Maryland, and North Carolina, where it appears most frequently. Honesty fits squarely within the modern tradition of abstract virtue names, a category that includes Faith, Grace, and Charity, though it remains far less common than those. The name's straightforward meaning and positive connotation have given it steady, if modest, usage for several decades.
Honesty is an English vocabulary name taken directly from the word meaning 'truthfulness, integrity.' It emerged as a given name in the late 20th century as part of a broader trend of virtue names. The word itself traces back to the Latin 'honestas' (honor, integrity) via Old French 'honeste.' Its use as a personal name reflects modern naming conventions favoring abstract nouns and positive qualities.
Where Honesty 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: Hon, Ness, Estie
Sibling names for Honesty
Names that share Honesty's style, for a brother or sister.
