Ernest

Ernest is one of those sober, so-far-out-they're-beginning-to-be-reconsidered Great Uncle names. Ernest recently received a big style boost when Britain's Princess Eugenie chose it for her second son.

Ernest was a Top 40 name from 1880 to 1926, and despite trending downward from there, hung onto the Top 1000 until 2019. But we may see the rise of Ernest again before long.

Ernest is probably the only name a whole play was based on—Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest—in which one character says, "There is something in that name that seems to inspire absolute confidence. I pity any poor woman whose husband is not called Ernest."

The most famous bearer of the name is novelist Ernest Hemingway—unless you want to count Bert's friend Ernie.

Changing the spelling to Earnest makes it a male virtue name.

Gender

Boy

Meaning

serious, resolute

Origin

English from German

Numerology

E is for exquisite, who could argue?

R is for righteous, you know when you’re right.

N is for natural, the genuine side of you.

E is for extra, those little things you do!

S is for sweet, your pleasing way.

T is for treasure, that of your friendship.

Lucky

Ernest lucky number is 9.

The mission for 9 is to reach its highest state of consciousness, and to help others also achieve this spiritual awareness. 9 is not afraid to transform, and its malleable spirit inspires others to explore their own ranges of motion. Since 9, in many ways, has transcended the physical plane, it must constantly remember to anchor itself.

Famous People Named Ernest

• Saint Ernest German abbot of Zwiefalten
• Ernest Augustus King of Hanover; son of George III of the U.K.
• Ernest Miller Hemingway American novelist (he said himself that he hated the name because of the connection to the play The Importance of Being Earnest)
• Ernest I (born Ernst Anton Karl Ludwig Herzog) Duke of Saxe,Coburg and Gotha; father of Britain's Prince Albert
• Ernest II (born Ernst August Karl Johann Leopold Alexander Eduard) Duke of Saxe,Coburg and Gotha; brother of Prince Albert

Ernest in Pop Culture

• Ernest P Worrell main character in the Ernest film series
• Ernest a main character in comic strip "Frank and Ernest" by Bob Thaves
• Ernest T. Bass character on TV's The Andy Griffith Show
• Ernest Denouement character in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Ernest LeClerc character on British TV series 'Allo 'Allo!