Which is the correct spelling of this Passyunk Square street: Ernst or Ernest?

It’s a case of mistaken street names. Is Ernst correct, or is Ernest the name of this Passyunk Square street? The street sign spells it one way, Google Maps spells it another.

Residents are confused, so which is correct? According to city records, the street was renamed in 1858 as Ernst and despite incorrect street signs and confusion over the years, this is still the correct spelling of the street name.

From Philly.com:

“My driver’s license, my utility bills – everything says Ernest,” she said earnestly Wednesday. “Why don’t they type in [her address on] Ernst into Google and see where it takes them?”

She’s right: Google Maps lists the street as Ernest, as do the U.S. Postal Service, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and – suggesting that the confusion is not new – old city directories, like Boyd’s from 1911, and a 1990 streets guide from former regional mapmaker Alfred B. Patton Inc.

Grace is not the only resident affected by the situation. Her next-door neighbor Kelley McKenna, 45, said that when she moved to the block in 2004, one of the street signs was indeed spelled Ernest.