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Ernesto

Quick answerErnesto means "serious" or "resolute" and derives from the Germanic name Ernest, rooted in the Old High German element "ernst" meaning earnestness or seriousness.

Italian · Boy · 3 syllables

E
Top 1,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#878
TrendStable
Peak year2003
Syllables3
OriginItalian
LanguageItalian
CultureItalian, Spanish, Portuguese
Letters7
Numerology33 Chaldean 4
Global rank#233

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Ernesto

Ernesto means "serious" or "resolute" and derives from the Germanic name Ernest, rooted in the Old High German element "ernst" meaning earnestness or seriousness.

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Ernesto means "serious" or "resolute" and derives from the Germanic name Ernest, rooted in the Old High German element "ernst" meaning earnestness or seriousness. The name is primarily used in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Latin American cultures, with historical prominence through figures like Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and has been borne by Catholic and secular populations across Romance-speaking regions.

Ernesto currently ranks #878 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2003.

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Sibling name ideas

Italian, Spanish, Portuguese names that sit beautifully beside Ernesto

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Names starting with E

Names that sound like Ernesto

Phonetic match, not just spelling
Ernest
Unisex English

"The given name 'Ernest' means 'serious' or 'determined', derived from the Old High German words 'ern' meaning 'serious' and 'heit'…"

Global rank #139 View name
Ernst
Boy German

"Ernst means "serious" or "resolute" and derives from the Old High German word "ernest," related to the Proto-Germanic root meaning…"

Global rank #468 View name
Ernestas
Boy Lithuanian

"The name 'Ernestas' means "serious" or "resolute," derived from the Old High German word *ernust* (earnestness)."

Global rank #629 View name
Ernestine
Unisex French

"The name Ernestine means "serious" or "resolute," derived from the Old High German word *ernust* (earnestness)."

Global rank #823 View name
Erneste
Unisex Germanic

"The name 'Erneste' is a feminine form of Ernest, derived from the Old High German word *ernust*, meaning "serious" or…"

Global rank #848 View name
Ermenegildo
Boy Germanic

"Ermenegildo derives from the Germanic elements "ermen" (whole, universal) and "gild" (to sacrifice or yield), meaning "one who offers complete…"

Global rank #882 View name
Ermes
Boy Greek

"Ermes is the Italian form of Hermes, derived from Greek and meaning "messenger" or "interpreter," likely from a root related…"

Global rank #941 View name
Ernesto-Emiliano
Boy Germanic and Latin

"Ernesto derives from the Germanic root "Ernust" meaning "serious" or "resolute," while Emiliano comes from the Latin "Aemilius," an aristocratic…"

Global rank #941 View name
Ermence
Girl Latin

"Ermence derives from the Latin name Hermentia, which is related to Hermes, the Greek messenger god, and carries the meaning…"

Global rank #954 View name
Ernestyna
Girl Germanic

"Ernestyna is the feminine Polish form of Ernest, derived from the Germanic element "ernst" meaning "serious" or "resolute," with roots…"

Global rank #954 View name
Ernes
Boy Germanic

"Ernes is a variant of Ernest, derived from the Germanic element "ern" meaning "serious" or "resolute," combined with the suffix…"

Global rank #1,127 View name
Ermias
Unisex Ethiopic/Semitic

"The name Ermias means "God is my healer" or "God will heal," derived from the Ethiopic/Semitic root *r-f-ʾ* (to heal)…"

Global rank #1,146 View name
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