Find out how popular the last name Ernesto is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ernesto.

Ernesto, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ernesto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ernesto in America

Ernesto is the 90495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ernesto surname appeared 204 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ernesto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ernesto to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ernesto

The surname Ernesto is of Spanish origin, derived from the Germanic name Ernst, which means "earnest" or "resolute." The name originated in the medieval period, around the 12th century, in the regions of Spain and Portugal.

Ernesto is a variant of the name Ernesto, which was commonly used in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula by Germanic tribes, such as the Visigoths, who settled in the region after the fall of the Roman Empire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ernesto can be found in the "Cantar de Mio Cid," a medieval Spanish epic poem dating back to the 12th century. The poem mentions a character named Ernesto, who was a knight in the service of the legendary Spanish hero, El Cid.

In the 13th century, the name Ernesto appeared in various historical records and documents, including the "Fuero de Cuenca," a legal code established in the city of Cuenca, Spain. The name was also found in the "Libro de los Fueros de Castilla," a compilation of laws and customs from the Kingdom of Castile.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ernesto was Ernesto de Castilla (1201-1270), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

Another notable figure with the surname Ernesto was Ernesto de Portugal (1390-1460), a Portuguese prince and Duke of Coimbra. He was a patron of the arts and sciences and played a crucial role in the cultural renaissance of Portugal during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, Ernesto de Córdoba (1520-1598) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico and later served as the governor of Nueva Galicia, a region in present-day Mexico.

During the 17th century, Ernesto de Aragón (1615-1686) was a Spanish military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War. He was also the Viceroy of Catalonia from 1679 to 1686.

In the 18th century, Ernesto de Oliveira (1712-1780) was a Portuguese botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern botany in Portugal.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Ernesto throughout history, demonstrating its long-standing presence in Spain, Portugal, and their former colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ernesto

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ernesto.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ernesto was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ernesto has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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