Ernesto
Ernesto was the 878th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 272 babies. Its best year was 1981, when it ranked 291st; the most babies were born in 2003 (854). Over the last ten years it has moved down 240 places. More babies were named Ernesto in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning "vigor, seriousness" · Spanish, Italian, Germanic
Say it er-NES-toh /ɛrˈnɛstoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #878 boys, down 86 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 272boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2003854 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,816babies recorded
What does the name Ernesto mean?
Ernesto is the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese form of Ernest. Ernest comes from the German Ernst, from Old High German ernust, which DMNES glosses as "serious, earnest" and Wiktionary as "vigor, strife", noting that it is only distantly linked to the modern words earnest and ernst. In the US Ernesto was most common around 2000.
ernust (Old High German, “seriousness; vigor, strife”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Old High German word is glossed differently ("serious, grave" vs "vigor, strife").
Related names: Ernest, Ernst, Ernestina, Neto.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ernesto', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ernest', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ernest', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Ernesto', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Ernesto
The usual nicknames for Ernesto are Neto.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neto | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ernestos go by each one.
Ernesto popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 121 since 1963.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #878 | 272 |
| 2020 | #792 | 293 |
| 2010 | #491 | 529 |
| 2000 | #346 | 792 |
| 1990 | #310 | 822 |
| 1980 | #306 | 645 |
| 1970 | #380 | 453 |
| 1960 | #425 | 356 |
| 1950 | #405 | 278 |
| 1940 | #529 | 122 |
| 1930 | #457 | 168 |
| 1920 | #748 | 77 |
| 1910 | #947 | 12 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ernesto, counting every spelling?
Ernesto has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #851 for boys in 2025, against #878 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Ernesto?
272 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ernesto (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ernesto born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 31 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ernesto.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ernesto?
About 37,800 people born in the US named Ernesto are alive today, with a median age of 34; half are between 22 and 48. That makes Ernesto mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ernesto by state
How common Ernesto was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (3.3×), Texas (2.6×), California (2.6×), Nevada (2.3×). In 34 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ernesto: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ernesto, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ernesto · Sibling names for Ernesto
Questions about the name Ernesto
What does Ernesto mean?
Ernesto means “"vigor, seriousness"” (Spanish, Italian, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ernesto?
Ernesto was the 878th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 272 babies. Its best year was 1981, when it ranked 291st; the most babies were born in 2003 (854). Over the last ten years it has moved down 240 places. More babies were named Ernesto in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Ernesto a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ernesto in the US.
Where is Ernesto most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ernesto was most common in Arizona (0.51 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and California.