Ernest

Ernest: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “serious; resolute”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: UR-nist · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From Germanic ernst meaning 'seriousness' or 'earnestness.' It became established in English through Norman and continental usage.

English names French names German names Names meaning strength Classic names Vintage names

How popular is Ernest?

202460.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Ernest in 2024200

2024 rank#1,083 boys

Peak year1880

Total US babies since 1880304,137

Ernest is steady now but far below its 1880 peak.

Names like Ernest

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Ernestoserious, resolute · Germanic
Earnestserious, sincere · English
Ernieserious, resolute · English
Ernestineserious, resolute · Germanic
Earnestineserious, resolute · Germanic
Williamresolute protector · Germanic
Henryhome ruler · Germanic
Charlesfree man · Germanic

Ernest questions

What does the name Ernest mean?

Ernest means "serious; resolute". It comes from Germanic. From Germanic ernst meaning 'seriousness' or 'earnestness.' It became established in English through Norman and continental usage.

Is Ernest a boy or girl name?

Ernest is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Ernest?

200 US babies were named Ernest in 2024. Its peak year was 1880.

How do you pronounce Ernest?

Ernest is usually pronounced UR-nist.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.