Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ernst, meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Ernest, Margrave of Austria (1027–1075) Ernest, Duke of Bavaria (1373–1438) Ernest, Duke of Opava (c. 1415–1464) Ernest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (1482–1553) Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels (1623–1693) Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1629–1698) Ernest, Count of Stolberg-Ilsenburg (1650–1710) Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover (1771–1851), son of King George III of Great Britain Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818–1893), sovereign duke of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover (1845–1923) Ernest, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal (1846–1925) Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover (1914–1987) Prince Ernst August of Hanover (born 1954) Prince Ernst August of Hanover (born 1983) Saint Ernest (died 1148), German abbot Ernest Adams (disambiguation) Ernie Anderson (1923–1997), American radio and television announcer Ernie Banks (1931–2015), American baseball player Ernest Benach (born 1959), President of the Catalan parliament Ernest Bevin (1881–1951), British Labour politician Ernest Bohr (1924–2018), Danish lawyer, former barrister, and field hockey player Ernest Broșteanu (1869–1932), Romanian general during World War I Ernest Buckmaster (1897–1968), Australian artist Ernest Radcliffe Bond (1919–2003), British police officer and soldier Ernie Bond (footballer) (born 1929), English footballer Ernie Bond (politician) (1897–1984), Australian politician Ernest Borgnine (1917–2012), American actor Ernie Calloway (born 1948), American football player Ernie Cooksey (1980–2008), English footballer Ernest Corea (1932–2017), Sri Lankan Sinhala journalist, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States from 1981-1986 Ernie Cox (1894–1962), Canadian football player Ernest Daltroff (1867–1941), French perfumer, and founder of Parfums Caron Ernie DiGregorio (born 1951), American basketball player Ernest Duff (1931-2016), American businessman, lawyer and Mormon bishop Ernie Els (born 1969), South African golfer Ernest Evans (cricketer) (1861–1948), English cricketer who played for Somerset Ernest Evans (politician) (1885–1965), Welsh politician Ernest E. Evans (1908–1944), officer of the United States Navy in WWII Ernest Peter Arnold Fernando (1919–1957), Sri Lankan Sinhala businessman and mine owner Ernie Fletcher (born 1952), American physician and politician, 60th Governor of Kentucky Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919–1991), American country singer Ernest Gold (composer) (1921–1999), American composer Ernest Gold (meteorologist) (1881–1976), British meteorologist Ernest Gjoka (born 1970), Albanian football coach Ernie Green (born 1938), American football player Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928-1967), Argentine physician, author and Marxist revolutionary Ernie Harwell (1918–2010), American baseball broadcaster Ernest Haycox (1899–1950), American writer of Westerns