boy's name
Ernest
ER-nist
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 362,552
England and Wales
#252
2025 births
Ernest is a boy's name from a Germanic word meaning serious or resolute, and it is far stronger in Europe than in America — 252nd in England and Wales and 276th in France against 1042nd in the United States.
- Ernest is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 5,723 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 15,565 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ernest over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,727 |
| 1890s | 7,919 |
| 1900s | 8,715 |
| 1910s | 37,310 |
| 1920s | 54,033 |
| 1930s | 39,627 |
| 1940s | 41,985 |
| 1950s | 39,875 |
| 1960s | 27,095 |
| 1970s | 16,909 |
| 1980s | 11,343 |
| 1990s | 6,064 |
| 2000s | 3,332 |
| 2010s | 2,211 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,209 |
What Ernest means
Ernest means serious, earnest or resolute. The Germanic word describes determined seriousness, particularly vigor in battle, rather than solemnity of manner or a grave personality.
Where Ernest comes from
Ernest comes from the Germanic ernust, meaning seriousness, vigor in combat, or a struggle in earnest — and the English word earnest descends from the same root, which is why the two sound identical. Oscar Wilde built a whole play on that coincidence in 1895: The Importance of Being Earnest turns on characters pretending to be called Ernest, and the joke is that the name and the virtue are homophones with nothing to do with each other. Ernest Hemingway and Ernest Shackleton carried it into the twentieth century, and it was borne by several German princely houses.
Ernest in use
Ernest peaked in the United States in 1921, when 5,723 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. Its strongest markets are European: 252nd in England and Wales on 185 births and 276th in France on 195, well ahead of 784th in Scotland and 1042nd in the United States on 213, across 362,552 lifetime births. Ranking roughly eight hundred places higher in England and Wales than in America is a large gap for a name whose lifetime volume is mostly American.
How popular is Ernest?
In 2025, Ernest was given to 213 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Ernest is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ernest
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ernest also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ernest over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ernest
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ernest in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ernest
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ernest — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ernest
What does the name Ernest mean?
Serious or resolute, from the Germanic ernust — the same root as the English word earnest.
Is the Wilde play a pun on the name?
Entirely. The Importance of Being Earnest turns on the name and the virtue being homophones.
Where is Ernest most used?
England and Wales at 252nd and France at 276th, well ahead of the United States at 1042nd.
Is Ernest coming back?
Our data marks it stable rather than reviving, but it holds a much stronger position in Europe than in America.
How popular is the name Ernest?
In 2025, Ernest was given to 213 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Ernest a girl's or a boy's name?
Ernest is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ernest?
Ernest has 2 syllables.
When was Ernest most popular?
Ernest peaked in 1921, when 5,723 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ernest?
Ernest is usually shortened to Ernie.
Is Ernest a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ernest currently ranks #252 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.