Erica
Erica was the 1399th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 156 babies. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked 31st with 9,973 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 713 places. More babies were named Erica in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Erika) ever-ruler (feminine of Eric) · Old Norse, German, Swedish
- Rank in 2025
- #1,399 girls, down 288 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 156girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19869,973 babies
- Total since 1880
- 232,637babies recorded
What does the name Erica mean?
Erica is a spelling of Erika, pronounced the same way, so it shares Erika's meaning and origin.
Erika is a spelling of Erica, the feminine of Eric, or borrowed directly from Scandinavia, as Wiktionary notes. Eric comes from Old Norse Eiríkr, usually analyzed as ei- 'ever' or 'alone' plus ríkr 'ruler, powerful', though the first element is debated. In German and Scandinavian languages erika is also the word for heather (Latin erica). It was popular in the US in the 1970s to 1990s.
Eiríkr (Old Norse, “Eric”)ríkr (Old Norse, “ruler, powerful”)
How sure is this? Probable. The first element of Eiríkr is uncertain.
Related names: Erica, Eric, Rica.
See also: Scandinavian names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Erika', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Eric', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Erica popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,024 since 1968.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,399 | 156 |
| 2020 | #1,111 | 220 |
| 2010 | #423 | 745 |
| 2000 | #102 | 3,220 |
| 1990 | #36 | 8,608 |
| 1980 | #34 | 8,760 |
| 1970 | #129 | 2,789 |
| 1960 | #664 | 234 |
| 1950 | #809 | 116 |
| 1940 | #2,338 | 13 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Erica, counting every spelling?
Erica is a spelling of Erika, a name family that ranked #653 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,399 for Erica on its own. Together these spellings went to 441 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erika | 213 | #1,109 | 1,078 |
| Erica | 156 | #1,399 | 871 |
| Ericka | 66 | #2,624 | 227 |
| Erykah | 6 | #13,733 | 74 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Erica?
156 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Erica (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Erica born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 54 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Erica.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Erica?
About 222,900 people born in the US named Erica are alive today, with a median age of 40; half are between 33 and 46. That makes Erica mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Erica by state
How common Erica was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Carolina (1.5×). In 29 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Erica: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Erica, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Erica
What does Erica mean?
Erica is a spelling of Erika, which means “ever-ruler (feminine of Eric)” (Old Norse, German, Swedish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Erica?
Erica was the 1399th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 156 babies. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked 31st with 9,973 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 713 places. More babies were named Erica in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Erica a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Erica in the US.
Where is Erica most popular?
In 2021–2025, Erica was most common in North Carolina (0.16 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and New York.