Erika
Erika was the 1109th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 213 babies. Its best year was 1989, when it ranked 73rd; the most babies were born in 1990 (4,569). Over the last ten years it has moved down 384 places. More babies were named Erika in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning ever-ruler (feminine of Eric) · Old Norse, German, Swedish
Say it AIR-ih-kuh /ˈɛɹɪkə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,109 girls, down 92 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 213girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19904,569 babies
- Total since 1880
- 126,212babies recorded
What does the name Erika mean?
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)
Erika popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 548 since 1969.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,109 | 213 |
| 2020 | #1,017 | 248 |
| 2010 | #429 | 728 |
| 2000 | #123 | 2,735 |
| 1990 | #74 | 4,569 |
| 1980 | #87 | 3,516 |
| 1970 | #171 | 1,941 |
| 1960 | #768 | 176 |
| 1950 | #1,609 | 34 |
| 1940 | #1,122 | 42 |
| 1930 | #2,136 | 16 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Erika, counting every spelling?
Erika is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #653 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,109 for Erika 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 Erika?
213 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Erika (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Erika 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 39 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Erika.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Erika?
About 120,900 people born in the US named Erika are alive today, with a median age of 37; half are between 30 and 46. That makes Erika 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.
Erika by state
How common Erika was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Colorado (1.7×), Washington (1.6×), Texas (1.6×). In 25 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 Erika: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Erika, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Erika · Sibling names for Erika
Questions about the name Erika
What does Erika mean?
Erika means “ever-ruler (feminine of Eric)” (Old Norse, German, Swedish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Erika?
Erika was the 1109th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 213 babies. Its best year was 1989, when it ranked 73rd; the most babies were born in 1990 (4,569). Over the last ten years it has moved down 384 places. More babies were named Erika in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Erika a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Erika in the US.
Where is Erika most popular?
In 2021–2025, Erika was most common in Colorado (0.22 per 1,000 girls), followed by Washington and Texas.