Ernestine, of French origin, means "serious, grave". It is composed of the Old French elements 'errante', meaning 'traveling', and '-stein', from 'stone'. The name was popular in France during the 19th century but has since become less common. Notable figures with this name include Ernestine Rose, a prominent American feminist and suffragist, and Ernestineulatron, a character in the science fiction series "Doctor Who".
"Ernestine was quite popular during the late 1920s to early 1930s, with peaks of 12 births in both 1931 and 1935. However, its popularity significantly declined afterwards, dropping below 6 births per year from 1940 onwards."