as a Last Name
- 4,675
- people in the U.S. have this name View all people named Ernest
Meaning & Origins
English and Dutch: from the Germanic byname mentioned at Ernst. However, Reaney cites medieval evidence for Norman spellings such as Ernais, and derives it from a Germanic personal name Arn(e)gis, possibly composed of the elements arn ‘eagle’ + gīsil ‘pledge’, ‘hostage’, ‘noble youth’ (see Giesel). The name may have been altered by folk etymology to coincide with the word meaning ‘combat’. Compare Harness.
| 6,305th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 4,675
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- West Virginia
- has the most people named Ernest per capita
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
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