Borrowed in the 18th century from Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”), only remotely related to modern German ernst or English earnest.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɜː(ɹ)nɪst/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophones: Earnest, earnest

Ernest

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages; popular in the 19th century.
   • 1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest , :

     GWENDOLEN. and my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence.

   • 1980, P. D. James, Innocent Blood:

     "What's his name, your boyfriend?" "Ernest. Ernest Hemingway." The name was received in disparaging silence. Marlene said: "You wouldn't get me going out with a feller called Ernest. My granddad was Ernest."

2. A surname.

• pet form: Ernie
• female given name: Ernestine

• renest, Enters, enters, ternes, nester, treens, strene, Teners, tenser, resent, sterne, Sterne, Treens, Senter, rentes, entres

Ernest m

1. a male given name

Borrowed from German Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”).

Ernest m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Ernest

Borrowed from German Ernst.

• IPA^(key): /ɛʁ.nɛst/

• Audio:

  (file)

Ernest m

1. a male given name

• entres, entrés
• rentes, rentés
• sterne
• ternes

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Ernest m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Ernest

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

Ernest

Wikipedia ^pl

Borrowed from German Ernst, from Middle High German ernest, from Old High German ernust, from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛr.nɛst/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrnɛst
• Syllabification: Er‧nest

Ernest m pers (female equivalent Ernestyna, diminutive Erneścik)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Ernest

• Ernest in Polish dictionaries at PWN

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key):

Ernest m pers (diminutive Erno or Ero or Erino or Ernesko or Erinko or Erko)

1. a male given name

• “Ernest”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025