Ernest

What does the name Ernest mean?

Ernest comes from the Germanic word ernust and means "serious" or "earnest", a meaning Oscar Wilde played on in The Importance of Being Earnest. Ernest Hemingway is the name's most famous American bearer. A top 100 name until the 1940s, Ernest ranked number 514 in 2000 and has drifted slowly to number 1040 in 2025.

At a glance

Gender

Boy's name

Origin

Germanic / English

Name day

November 7

Popularity

Rather rare – #1040 of the boy names in the United States

International

Ernest (English / French / Polish), Ernst (German / Dutch / Scandinavian), Ernesto (Spanish / Italian / Portuguese), Ernő (Hungarian).

Similar names

• Ernie
• Ernesto
• Ernst
• Earnest
• Ern

Parents who love Ernest also like

• Ernesto
• Edmund
• Albert
• Arthur
• Walter
• Frederick