Ernest is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #591 in 2002 with 353 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1996 with 517 births ranking #437. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 31.7%. In 2002, approximately 1 in every 5,500 boys born was named Ernest. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
Ernest is a traditional name meaning "serious" or "determined". It has a thoughtful, weighty feel that now reads as quietly vintage.
The name spread across Europe and became well established in English, especially in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It later gained extra literary visibility through Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.