Meanings
ernest1
- obsoleteObsolete form of earnest.
Ernest2
- A male given name from the Germanic languages; popular in the 19th century.
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.
1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […] , [Act I]2 more examples
"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."
1980, P. D. James, Innocent BloodDevon Dunham of Hardeeville was found not guilty of murder in the shooting death of 77-year-old Ernest Stevens after a two-day trial May 25-27, the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office said.
2021 June 4, Shellie Murdaugh, “Man found not guilty of former Hardeeville fire chief's murder”, in Bluffton Today, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2021 - A surname.
Origin
- Old High Germanernust“vigor, strife”
- EnglishErnest
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.
More words from Old High German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bengali আর্নেস্ট
- আর্নেস্ট (arnesṭ)given name
Bulgarian Eрне́ст
- Eрне́ст (Ernést)given name
Catalan Ernest
- Ernestgiven name
Chinese Mandarin 歐內斯特 /欧内斯特
- 歐內斯特 /欧内斯特 (Ōunèisītè)given name
Czech Arnošt
- Arnoštgiven name
Danish Ernst
- Ernstgiven name
Dutch Ernst
- Ernstgiven name
Esperanto Ernesto
- Ernestogiven name
Finnish Ernesti, Erno
- Ernestigiven name
- Ernogiven name
French Ernest
- Ernestgiven name
German Ernst
- Ernstgiven name
Greek Ερνέστος
- Ερνέστος (Ernéstos)given name
Hungarian Ernő
- Ernőgiven name
Irish Earnán
- Earnángiven name
Italian Ernesto
- Ernestogiven name
Latin Ernestus
- Ernestusgiven name
Latvian Ernests
- Ernestsgiven name
Lithuanian Ernestas
- Ernestasgiven name
Norwegian Ernst
- Ernstgiven name
Polish Ernest
- Ernestgiven name
Portuguese Ernesto
- Ernestogiven name
Romanian Ernest
- Ernestgiven name
Russian Эрне́ст, Эрнст
- Эрне́ст (Ernɛ́st)given name
- Эрнстgiven name
Spanish Ernesto
- Ernestogiven name
Swedish Ernst
- Ernstgiven name
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ernest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ernest
“ernest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ernest. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ernest,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ernest.
Source: ernest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.