Ernst
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- AIRNST
- Origin
- Germanic
Ernst is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “serious, earnest”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Ernst mean?
Germanic: German form of Ernest
“serious, earnest”
The physicist Ernst Mach gave his name to the Mach number used for speeds relative to sound.
Is Ernst a girl's or a boy's name?
Ernst is a boys' name.
How popular is Ernst in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1917, with 59 boys.
Half of all the boys named Ernst in the US since 1880 were born between 1918 and 1964, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ernst in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | #12,141 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 5 | #12,150 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 6 | #10,739 |
| 2015 | 6 | #10,638 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,650 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 6 | #10,801 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 5 | #12,486 |
| 2008 | 8 | #9,013 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 7 | #9,579 |
| 2005 | 5 | #11,464 |
| 2004 | 10 | #6,970 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 7 | #8,449 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7,529 |
| 2000 | 9 | #6,832 |
| 1999 | 10 | #6,036 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,282 |
| 1996 | 10 | #5,528 |
| 1995 | 6 | #7,785 |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 10 | #5,353 |
| 1992 | 10 | #5,228 |
| 1991 | 10 | #5,088 |
| 1990 | 13 | #4,161 |
| 1989 | 18 | #3,199 |
| 1988 | 15 | #3,345 |
| 1987 | 14 | #3,334 |
| 1986 | 18 | #2,776 |
| 1985 | 22 | #2,356 |
| 1984 | 12 | #3,457 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3,229 |
| 1982 | 21 | #2,340 |
| 1981 | 18 | #2,568 |
| 1980 | 11 | #3,614 |
| 1979 | 7 | #4,840 |
| 1978 | 17 | #2,567 |
| 1977 | 10 | #3,604 |
| 1976 | 14 | #2,825 |
| 1975 | 13 | #2,900 |
| 1974 | 13 | #2,797 |
| 1973 | 19 | #2,122 |
| 1972 | 14 | #2,533 |
| 1971 | 20 | #2,051 |
| 1970 | 22 | #1,888 |
| 1969 | 13 | #2,414 |
| 1968 | 11 | #2,575 |
| 1967 | 21 | #1,710 |
| 1966 | 19 | #1,756 |
| 1965 | 21 | #1,719 |
| 1964 | 23 | #1,654 |
| 1963 | 17 | #1,956 |
| 1962 | 23 | #1,668 |
| 1961 | 21 | #1,777 |
| 1960 | 13 | #2,313 |
| 1959 | 24 | #1,619 |
| 1958 | 21 | #1,723 |
| 1957 | 19 | #1,836 |
| 1956 | 21 | #1,721 |
| 1955 | 20 | #1,724 |
| 1954 | 20 | #1,705 |
| 1953 | 24 | #1,550 |
| 1952 | 25 | #1,516 |
| 1951 | 14 | #2,054 |
| 1950 | 20 | #1,656 |
| 1949 | 17 | #1,819 |
| 1948 | 24 | #1,486 |
| 1947 | 19 | #1,732 |
| 1946 | 17 | #1,758 |
| 1945 | 15 | #1,771 |
| 1944 | 21 | #1,482 |
| 1943 | 18 | #1,698 |
| 1942 | 24 | #1,421 |
| 1941 | 22 | #1,446 |
| 1940 | 25 | #1,334 |
| 1939 | 23 | #1,390 |
| 1938 | 27 | #1,275 |
| 1937 | 26 | #1,313 |
| 1936 | 23 | #1,384 |
| 1935 | 31 | #1,194 |
| 1934 | 28 | #1,266 |
| 1933 | 32 | #1,159 |
| 1932 | 24 | #1,426 |
| 1931 | 29 | #1,282 |
| 1930 | 38 | #1,132 |
| 1929 | 26 | #1,413 |
| 1928 | 33 | #1,254 |
| 1927 | 31 | #1,322 |
| 1926 | 43 | #1,064 |
| 1925 | 43 | #1,053 |
| 1924 | 36 | #1,204 |
| 1923 | 19 | #1,815 |
| 1922 | 33 | #1,259 |
| 1921 | 43 | #1,069 |
| 1920 | 43 | #1,073 |
| 1919 | 51 | #938 |
| 1918 | 54 | #902 |
| 1917 | 59 | #833 |
| 1916 | 55 | #840 |
| 1915 | 48 | #893 |
| 1914 | 37 | #898 |
| 1913 | 29 | #914 |
| 1912 | 21 | #1,000 |
| 1911 | 10 | #1,116 |
| 1910 | 7 | #1,313 |
| 1909 | 10 | #951 |
| 1908 | 11 | #825 |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 14 | #640 |
| 1905 | 8 | #918 |
| 1904 | 9 | #810 |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,009 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,057 |
| 1900 | 9 | #901 |
| 1899 | 6 | #927 |
| 1898 | 14 | #572 |
| 1897 | 5 | #1,056 |
| 1896 | 9 | #778 |
| 1895 | 13 | #579 |
| 1894 | 15 | #521 |
| 1893 | 12 | #572 |
| 1892 | 7 | #860 |
| 1891 | 7 | #765 |
| 1890 | 9 | #667 |
| 1889 | 10 | #628 |
| 1888 | 12 | #580 |
| 1887 | 10 | #583 |
| 1886 | 8 | #694 |
| 1885 | 19 | #411 |
| 1884 | 14 | #504 |
| 1883 | 16 | #448 |
| 1882 | 7 | #754 |
| 1881 | 12 | #503 |
| 1880 | 9 | #640 |
Names like Ernst
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Charles Frank Albert William Ernest Walter Robert John Louis George Lewis James
Names related to Ernst
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ernst: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ernst, updated 20 October 2026.