Ernest
A surname and given name from a Germanic word for “earnest,” “serious,” or “resolute.”
The #7,053 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,068 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally linked to the Germanic word behind modern German "ernst," meaning earnest, serious, or resolute. Older sources also connect it with Middle High German forms such as "ernest" and treat it as an old descriptive personal name that later became hereditary as a surname. A minority of older writers proposed a more elaborate compound analysis, but the simpler Germanic "earnest/serious" explanation is the standard one.
History
Ernest has long existed as both a personal name and a surname in German-speaking areas, and it spread into English usage through medieval and later contact. The name also appears in older English records, including examples from Lincolnshire in the 14th century. In modern times it is found in several spelling traditions, including German Ernst and the French-looking Ernest.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older English and French scholarship, Ernest was sometimes explained as a name meaning “earnestness” rather than as a family name in the modern sense.
From the historical record
“ERASTUS. (Greek.) From 'Epaarbe, lovely or amiable. ERNEST. (Sax.) Earnest, earnest. ESEK. (Heb.) Contention, violence, or force. ETHELARD. (Sax.) Noble disposition. ETHELBERT. (Sax.) Noble-bright, or nobly renowned. ETHELSTAN. (Sax.) Noble-jewel, precious stone, or most noble. ETHELWARD. (Sax.) Noble keeper.…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names