2000
#6,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.74
Rare Last name
Ernest
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "serious" or "resolute," which became popular as a surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,153 Americans carry the last name Ernest. That puts it at #7,172 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,515 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ernest surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ernest with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,515
Census rank
#7,172
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,494 bearers of the surname Ernest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7172nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ernest, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ernest
The surname Ernest is of Germanic origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German words "arn" meaning eagle and "est" meaning firm or strong, suggesting a brave and courageous person. The name was first found in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ernest surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which mentions an individual named Ernestus in the year 1212. The name also appears in the Annales Fuldenses, a medieval chronicle from the Abbey of Fulda, where an Ernestus is listed among the nobility in the year 1028.
During the Middle Ages, the Ernest surname was prevalent among the landed gentry and nobility in various parts of Germany. In the 14th century, there are records of Ernests holding estates and lands in the regions of Franconia and Thuringia. One notable individual was Ernst von Gleichen (1265-1347), a German nobleman and poet who belonged to the illustrious House of Wettin.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Ernast, Erneste, and Ernesti. In England, the Ernest surname can be traced back to the late 16th century, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Among the notable Ernests throughout history are:
1. Ernst Gideon von Laudon (1717-1790), an Austrian field marshal renowned for his military victories during the Seven Years' War.
2. Ernst Chladni (1756-1827), a German physicist and musician who is considered the father of acoustics.
3. Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919), a German biologist and philosopher who coined the terms "ecology" and "phylum."
4. Ernst Mach (1838-1916), an Austrian physicist and philosopher known for his contributions to the study of shock waves and the philosophy of science.
5. Ernst Jünger (1895-1998), a highly influential German writer and philosopher, known for his works on warfare and the human condition.
The Ernest surname has a rich and diverse history, tracing its origins back to the Germanic regions of medieval Europe and spreading across the continent through the centuries. It has been borne by notable figures in fields ranging from literature and philosophy to science and military leadership.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ernest
Among Census respondents with the surname Ernest, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ernest bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ernest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.9% · 3,231
- Black or African American16.3% · 731
- Two or more races4.3% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 189
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 119
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ernest
Ernest appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,745
+51 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 413 places
2020
#7,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,494
-251 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,640 | 4,694 | 1.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,053 | 4,745 | 1.61 | +51 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 413 places |
| 2020 | #7,172 | 4,494 | 1.50 | -251 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 119 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ernest surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,053 | #7,172 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,745 | 4,494 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.50 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ernest bearers went from 4,745 to 4,494 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,053 to #7,172.
FAQ
Ernest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ernest?
Name Census estimates that about 5,153 living Americans carry the surname Ernest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,515 residents.
How common is Ernest?
Ernest ranks #7,172 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,494 people with the surname Ernest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,153), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ernest.
Has Ernest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ernest went from 4,745 recorded bearers to 4,494. That is a decrease of 251 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,053 to #7,172.
What does the Census say about the background of Ernest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ernest, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ernest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.9% (3,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ernest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.9%), Black (16.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ernest (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ernest mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "serious" or "resolute," which became popular as a surname. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ernest (1.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Ernest?
Want to know how many people have the last name Ernest? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.