What Does The Name Ernest Mean?

It is often supposed that this means the same as the word "earnest" meaning serious (or even humourless) and this misconception is reinforced by the common American spelling of "Earnest." In fact there is only a partial connection with this word. Ernest is a Germanic name (in modern German it is Ernst) derived from the old High German word eornost ("battle to the death" or "serious business.") It wasn't known as an English name until the 18th century, when the accession to the throne of the Hanoverian king George I brought several Germanic names to Britain.

Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest" jokes with the word "earnest" and its similarity to the name Ernest. The name is rare nowadays, though in the early 20th century it was very common, and often shortened to Ernie or Ern. There is a very rare feminine equivalent, Ernestine or Ernestina.

The name Ernest or Earnest is a name for a male meaning 'seriousness'. The name was popularly used in a play by Oscar Wilde in 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.

The most famous namesake of this name is Ernest Hemingway, one of the most renowned American authors of the twentieth century.  

Hemingway was famous for his novels that described outdoorsmen and emigrants. His up-front basic manner of writing became so popular that started to be and still is often imitated. His lifestyle and attitude were just as famous as his writing capabilities. He lived in places like Paris and Cuba, enjoyed bull fighting and hunting as hobbies and also served in the Civil War. His famous works include For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953.