2000
#1,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,521
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.87
Uncommon Last name
Ernst
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "serious" or "resolute," derived from the German word "ernst."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,513 Americans carry the last name Ernst. That puts it at #1,970 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,709 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ernst 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 Ernst with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,709
Census rank
#1,970
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,888 bearers of the surname Ernst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1970th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ernst, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ernst
The surname ERNST originates from Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic given name Ernst, which means "stern" or "serious." The name's earliest known use as a surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the present-day German states of Bavaria and Saxony.
In the 13th century, the surname ERNST appeared in various Latin documents and medieval records across German-speaking regions. One notable mention is in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary from the Benedictine abbey in Corvey, which lists several individuals with the surname ERNST.
The surname ERNST was also found in the Bairische Stammtafeln, a collection of genealogical records from Bavaria, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name was well-established in southern Germany during this period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname ERNST was Johann ERNST, a German scholar and philosopher who lived from 1454 to 1513. He was a professor at the University of Ingolstadt and wrote extensively on theology and logic.
Another notable figure was Valerius ERNST, a German composer and organist who lived from 1570 to 1630. He was employed at the court of the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg and is known for his sacred compositions and instrumental works.
In the 17th century, the surname ERNST spread to other parts of Europe. For example, Johann Arnold ERNST was a Dutch artist and engraver who lived from 1623 to 1685. He is renowned for his intricate landscape etchings and prints.
Moving to the 19th century, Heinrich Wilhelm ERNST was a German violinist and composer who lived from 1814 to 1865. He was a virtuoso performer and wrote several influential works for the violin, including his renowned Élégie.
Another notable figure was Max ERNST, a German painter and sculptor who played a pivotal role in the Dada and Surrealist movements. He lived from 1891 to 1976 and is celebrated for his innovative techniques and surreal imagery.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ernst
Among Census respondents with the surname Ernst, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ernst 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 Ernst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 16,483
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 586
- Two or more races2.9% · 520
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 159
- Black or African American0.5% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ernst
Ernst 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
#1,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,361
-160 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 6.22
Rank movement Down 194 places
2020
#1,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,888
-473 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 5.98
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,775 | 18,521 | 6.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,969 | 18,361 | 6.22 | -160 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 194 places |
| 2020 | #1,970 | 17,888 | 5.98 | -473 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 1 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 Ernst 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 | #1,969 | #1,970 | -0.1% |
| Count | 18,361 | 17,888 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 6.22 | 5.98 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ernst bearers went from 18,361 to 17,888 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,969 to #1,970.
FAQ
Ernst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ernst?
Name Census estimates that about 20,513 living Americans carry the surname Ernst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,709 residents.
How common is Ernst?
Ernst ranks #1,970 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,888 people with the surname Ernst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,513), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Ernst.
Has Ernst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ernst went from 18,361 recorded bearers to 17,888. That is a decrease of 473 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,969 to #1,970.
What does the Census say about the background of Ernst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ernst, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Ernst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (16,483 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ernst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Ernst (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 Ernst mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "serious" or "resolute," derived from the German word "ernst." 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 Ernst (5.98 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 have the surname Ernst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.