Victor Frankenstein's brother who survives is Ernest Frankenstein, the middle of Victor's two younger brothers.
The Frankenstein family includes Victor, Ernest, and William. William, the youngest, becomes the creature's first direct victim in the Frankenstein family: the creature encounters him near Geneva, discovers his identity, and kills him. The family's servant Justine Moritz is then falsely accused and executed for William's murder.
Ernest remains alive after William's death and after the deaths of Victor, Elizabeth Lavenza, Alphonse Frankenstein, and other members of the household. He is not central to the novel's action, which is why readers sometimes forget him. Near the end, Victor refers to Ernest as the only remaining member of his immediate family before beginning his pursuit of the creature.
The name can also be confused with Alphonse, Victor's father; Henry Clerval, Victor's friend; and William, the brother who is murdered. Another common misunderstanding is that Frankenstein is the creature's name. In Shelley's novel, Frankenstein is the family name of Victor and his relatives, while the creature is never given a personal name.