Ernest
English · Boy · 2 syllables
Popularity & facts
Relative popularity index, 2010–2025Popularity over time
Popularity indexHistorical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data
About the name Ernest
The given name 'Ernest' means 'serious' or 'determined', derived from the Old High German words 'ern' meaning 'serious' and 'heit' meaning 'kind' or 'type'.
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Etymology
The given name 'Ernest' means 'serious' or 'determined', derived from the Old High German words 'ern' meaning 'serious' and 'heit' meaning 'kind' or 'type'. The name 'Ernest' has been used in various cultures, including Christianity, and is associated with Saint Ernisius, a 7th-century Irish saint, and was popularized in the Middle Ages by the Normans.
Ernest currently ranks #1,040 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1921.
Variants & nicknames
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Sibling name ideas
English, French, Catalan, Polish, Slovak, Slovene names that sit beautifully beside ErnestSimilar names you might like
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Names that sound like Ernest
Phonetic match, not just spelling"Ernesto means "serious" or "resolute" and derives from the Germanic name Ernest, rooted in the Old High German element "ernst"…"
"Ernst means "serious" or "resolute" and derives from the Old High German word "ernest," related to the Proto-Germanic root meaning…"
"The name 'Ernestas' means "serious" or "resolute," derived from the Old High German word *ernust* (earnestness)."
"The name Ernestine means "serious" or "resolute," derived from the Old High German word *ernust* (earnestness)."
"The name 'Erneste' is a feminine form of Ernest, derived from the Old High German word *ernust*, meaning "serious" or…"
"Ermenegildo derives from the Germanic elements "ermen" (whole, universal) and "gild" (to sacrifice or yield), meaning "one who offers complete…"
"Ermes is the Italian form of Hermes, derived from Greek and meaning "messenger" or "interpreter," likely from a root related…"
"Ernesto derives from the Germanic root "Ernust" meaning "serious" or "resolute," while Emiliano comes from the Latin "Aemilius," an aristocratic…"
"Ermence derives from the Latin name Hermentia, which is related to Hermes, the Greek messenger god, and carries the meaning…"
"Ernestyna is the feminine Polish form of Ernest, derived from the Germanic element "ernst" meaning "serious" or "resolute," with roots…"
"Ernes is a variant of Ernest, derived from the Germanic element "ern" meaning "serious" or "resolute," combined with the suffix…"
"The name Ermias means "God is my healer" or "God will heal," derived from the Ethiopic/Semitic root *r-f-ʾ* (to heal)…"