Ernst

Ernst is a masculine given name of German origin. It is the German form of Ernest and derives from a word meaning serious or earnest. The name has been used in German-speaking regions since the Middle Ages and has appeared in literature, science, and public life across the German-speaking world.

Notable bearers include Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919), a biologist and philosopher; Ernst Mach (1838–1916), a physicist and philosopher; Ernst Jünger (1895–1998), a writer and philosopher; Ernst Cassirer (1874–1945), a philosopher; and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880–1938), a painter and printmaker. These individuals illustrate the name’s long association with achievements in science, humanities, and the arts.

The name is most common in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, though it is recognized in other countries as well. In other languages, cognates include Ernest in English and Ernesto in Spanish and Italian, among others. While primarily a given name, Ernst is occasionally found as a surname in German-speaking regions.