as a First Name
Of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German vocabulary word eornost ‘serious business, battle to the death’. The name was introduced into England in the 18th century by followers of the Elector of Hanover, who became George I of England. A variant spelling, Earnest, has arisen by association with the modern English adjective earnest.
| 308th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Tens of Thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 196,443
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- 273,104
- if you include dead people (since the government started keeping track)
- New Mexico
- has the most people named Ernest per capita
- 1912
- marked the height of its popularity
0.03%
99.97%
59%
55+
55+
32%
30-54
30-54
6%
13-29
13-29
3%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
