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-.
Ernest (English): popular in the 19th century
Definitions
- popular in the 19th century
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,... |