Find out how popular the first name Ernst has been for the last 48 years (from 1974 to 2021) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Ernst by gender

Based on the last 48 years of data, Ernst is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2021, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Ernst.

The history of the first name Ernst

The name Ernst has its origins in the Germanic languages, deriving from the Old High German name Ernust or Ernst, which means "fierce battle" or "ardent." It was a popular name among German nobility and warriors in the early Middle Ages.

Ernst is thought to have been formed from the Germanic elements "arn" meaning "eagle" and "nust" meaning "nest" or "strength." This combination evoked the image of a strong, fierce fighter, akin to an eagle protecting its nest.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ernst dates back to the 8th century, when an Alemannic nobleman named Ernst was mentioned in the Codex Diplomaticus Alamannicus, a collection of historical documents from the region of modern-day Switzerland and southwestern Germany.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Ernst, including:

1. Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1784-1844), a German prince and the patriarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a branch of the Saxon royal family.

2. Ernst Rutherford (1871-1937), a pioneering New Zealand-born physicist who is considered the father of nuclear physics for his groundbreaking work on radioactivity and the structure of the atom.

3. Ernst Jünger (1895-1998), a highly decorated German soldier, writer, and philosopher who is best known for his memoir "Storm of Steel," which recounts his experiences during World War I.

4. Ernst Lubitsch (1892-1947), a German-American film director and producer who is considered one of the most influential and important figures in the history of world cinema, known for his distinct comedic style and sophisticated touch.

5. Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919), a German biologist, naturalist, and philosopher who popularized the theory of evolution and coined several biological terms, including "ecology" and "phylum."

The name Ernst has maintained its popularity throughout the German-speaking world and has also been adopted in various forms in other European languages, such as the French Ernest and the Dutch Ernst or Ernest.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ernst was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ernst, please contact us.

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