The Ernst surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,361 people carried this name — #1,969 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,100 people counted. That is down 1% from 18,521 in 2000.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
2,578 people named Ernst live in Switzerland.
They live in 25 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 1,005 people named Ernst live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 987 people named Ernst.
93 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 50 départements, most often Haut-Rhin.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 645 people named Ernst live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
450 people named Ernst have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 761 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 13 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Opole.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
200 people named Ernst is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Ernst in American newspapers,
1876–1929.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 317,224 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Ernst,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Philipp Ernst, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 1673–1729 · military personnel -
Antoine Ernst 1796–1841 · politician -
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst 1812–1865 · composer -
Jacob Frederik Marius Ernst 1820–1897 · military personnel -
Adolfo Ernst 1832–1899 · naturalist
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 129 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Ernst.
- Erman 668 · U.S. census
- Ermel 306 · U.S. census
- Ernandez 849 · U.S. census
- Ernenwein 114 · U.S. census
- Ernest 4,745 · U.S. census
- Ernewein 114 · U.S. census
- Erny 619 · U.S. census
- Erpelding 800 · U.S. census
- Errera 480 · U.S. census
- Errico 1,672 · U.S. census
- Ertel 2,170 · U.S. census
- Ertle 741 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Ernst is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.