Where does “Ernest” come from?

Ernest is an English given name derived from German Ernst, from Old High German ernust, from Proto-Germanic ernustuz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European er-.

Ancestry of “Ernest”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	German	Ernst	earnestness, seriousness
2	German	ernst	serious, severe, grave
3	Old High German	ernust	serious
4	Proto-Germanic	ernustuz	seriousness; earnest; strength; solidity;...
5	Proto-Germanic	arniz	efficient, capable, diligent, sure
6	Proto-Indo-European	er-	eagle, bird; loose, light, rare, sparse; to fail,...

Every word from Proto-Indo-European er- →