Erma

#5,238 for girls in 2025, 24 births · Last seen for boys in 1951 at #3,714
Given to girls 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1911 · 595 births
Debut · girls
30 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
54,949
since 1880

Erma over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Erma has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201932peak #138, 1911girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#5,23824—
2024#7,59414—
2023#5,54922—
2022#5,98420—
2021#5,23724—
2020#5,85020—
2019#5,79821—
2018#8,61712—
2017#5,82121—
2016#8,39313—
2015#5,28825—
2014#5,99321—
2013#7,03117—
2012#6,34120—
2011#8,61413—
2010#7,51316—
2009#9,37912—
2008#5,43426—
2007#5,37726—
2006#5,23326—
2005#5,99920—
2004#4,81627—
2003#4,94325—
2002#4,90624—
2001#6,61916—
2000#4,98123—
1999#6,48415—
1998#5,36319—
1997#4,66022—
1996#4,58322—
1995#5,01919—
1994#4,23824—
1993#3,35133—
1992#4,23624—
1991#3,54030—
1990#3,81327—
1989#3,40230—
1988#3,22530—
1987#2,61238—
1986#2,47040—
1985#2,60137—
1984#2,62535—
1983#2,47537—
1982#2,32742—
1981#2,30543—
1980#1,98153—
1979#2,21844—
1978#1,98748—
1977#1,97649—
1976#1,71456—
1975#1,48169—
1974#1,59859—
1973#1,45066—
1972#1,22686—
1971#1,35079—
1970#1,29383—
1969#1,059107—
1968#958116—
1967#1,07194—
1966#823146—
1965#807151—
1964#695220—
1963#758184—
1962#702216—
1961#657244—
1960#653241—
1959#607269—
1958#562303—
1957#501358—
1956#528308—
1955#481356—
1954#430412—
1953#424419—
1952#385457—
1951#363490#3,7145
1950#330544—
1949#333546#3,6905
1948#308616#3,3166
1947#313608—
1946#297603—
1945#283601—
1944#273640#2,4679
1943#258719—
1942#249754#2,9407
1941#237727—
1940#227741—
1939#212792#2,28810
1938#216786#3,5345
1937#203833—
1936#201842#3,1476
1935#188930#2,02913
1934#1801,008#2,9737
1933#176985#2,7388
1932#1661,167#2,19112
1931#1631,151#3,7635
1930#1691,207#2,44411
1929#1661,246—
1928#1571,382#4,1515
1927#1611,379#3,4517
1926#1571,485—
1925#1621,490#2,9369
1924#1681,424#3,0239
1923#1681,389#3,8226
1922#1631,411#3,2528
1921#1581,525#2,63211
1920#1521,529#2,45912
1919#1471,497#4,1685
1918#1531,463#2,8829
1917#1481,436—
1916#1451,378#2,9268
1915#1391,375#2,6219
1914#147993#2,9156
1913#140865#2,2737
1912#141774#2,0457
1911#138595#1,7405
1910#140577#1,4216
1909#145487—
1908#144477—
1907#150439—
1906#139444—
1905#164330—
1904#157345—
1903#165302—
1902#166288—
1901#183236—
1900#188275—
1899#173247—
1898#188240—
1897#185213—
1896#199192—
1895#191203—
1894#185211—
1893#203155—
1892#198160—
1891#192139—
1890#205135—
1889#23796—
1888#25383—
1887#26862—
1886#26064—
1885#26655—
1884#26853—
1883#28738—
1882#31731—
1881#29728—
1880#28230—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Erma was already there! It came in at #282, and was given to 30 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 2009–2011, when fewer than 17 girls a year got the name.

Where Erma is popular in 1932

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedAKMaine: #159 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 802 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedNHWashington: #153 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 800 girlsWAIdaho: #129 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 536 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #156 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 968 girlsMNIllinois: #165 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 1,075 girlsILWisconsin: #225 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,917 girlsWIMichigan: #153 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 992 girlsMINew York: #310 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 3,524 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #127 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 536 girlsSDIowa: #143 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 808 girlsIAIndiana: #148 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 990 girlsINOhio: #139 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 846 girlsOHPennsylvania: #140 for girls · 87 births · 1 in 853 girlsPANew Jersey: #230 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,216 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #216 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,369 girlsCAUtah: #76 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 331 girlsUTColorado: #128 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 525 girlsCONebraska: #105 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 485 girlsNEMissouri: #107 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 469 girlsMOKentucky: #180 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 911 girlsKYWest Virginia: #134 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 585 girlsWVVirginia: #183 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,022 girlsVAMaryland: #134 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 810 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #182 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 676 girlsNMKansas: #120 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 550 girlsKSArkansas: #65 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 268 girlsARTennessee: #149 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 662 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #172 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 895 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #364 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,475 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #58 for girls · 81 births · 1 in 271 girlsOKLouisiana: #192 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 807 girlsLAMississippi: #126 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 489 girlsMSAlabama: #175 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 787 girlsALGeorgia: #212 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,229 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Erma, so not publishedHITexas: #111 for girls · 115 births · 1 in 489 girlsTXFlorida: #146 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 613 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oklahoma#58 · 1 in 271
  2. Arkansas#65 · 1 in 268
  3. Utah#76 · 1 in 331
  4. Nebraska#105 · 1 in 485
  5. Missouri#107 · 1 in 469

Best ever in a state: #9 in Utah, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#58811 in 271
Arkansas#65701 in 268
Utah#76131 in 331
Nebraska#105211 in 485
Missouri#107591 in 469
Texas#1111151 in 489
Kansas#120241 in 550
Mississippi#126451 in 489
South Dakota#127101 in 536
Colorado#128151 in 525
Idaho#12961 in 536
Maryland#134151 in 810
West Virginia#134301 in 585
Ohio#139541 in 846
Pennsylvania#140871 in 853
Iowa#143221 in 808
Florida#146201 in 613
Indiana#148231 in 990
Tennessee#149411 in 662
Michigan#153371 in 992
Washington#153111 in 800
Minnesota#156201 in 968
Maine#15981 in 802
Illinois#165471 in 1,075
North Carolina#172411 in 895
Alabama#175381 in 787
Kentucky#180301 in 911
New Mexico#18271 in 676
Virginia#183241 in 1,022
Louisiana#192261 in 807
Georgia#212251 in 1,229
California#216251 in 1,369
Wisconsin#225121 in 1,917
New Jersey#230121 in 2,216
New York#310251 in 3,524
South Carolina#36461 in 3,475
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Massachusetts———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Erma
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 2,356 spots since 2024 (#7,594 → #5,238)
  • 612 spots since 2020 (#5,850 → #5,238)
  • 50 spots since 2015 (#5,288 → #5,238)
  • Biggest jump: 113 spots in 1968 (#1,071 → #958)
  • Biggest drop: 248 spots in 1967 (#823 → #1,071)
Rise & fade · girls
31 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1911 at #138 (595 births)
  • Births halved by 1959, 48 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 88 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 88 yrs · run 1880–1966
Share of babies · girls
1 in 665
  • Highest: 1 in 665 girls born in 1906 were named Erma (0.15%)
  • Latest: 1 in 66,969 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #138 in 1911, was only 1 in 703 (0.14%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 26.0% of all girls named Erma (14,260) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s540#237 (1889)#274
1890s1,895#173 (1899)#192
1900s3,623#139 (1906)#160
1910s10,953#138 (1911)#144
1920s14,260#152 (1920)#161
1930s9,701#163 (1931)#187
1940s6,555#227 (1940)#278
1950s3,916#330 (1950)#461
1960s1,719#653 (1960)#818
1970s639#1,226 (1972)#1,629
1980s385#1,981 (1980)#2,602
1990s235#3,351 (1993)#4,529
2000s225#4,816 (2004)#5,769
2010s179#5,288 (2015)#6,941
2020s124#5,237 (2021)#5,909

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Erma in 1932

girls
#166
1,167 births · 1 in 914 girls
boys
#2,191
12 births · 1 in 87,013 boys

Top girls' names in 1932

  1. #1Mary59,883
  2. #2Betty34,420
  3. #3Barbara26,318
  4. #4Dorothy24,974
  5. #5Joan21,044
  6. #6Patricia17,992
  7. #7Margaret16,556
  8. #8Helen16,376
  9. #9Shirley14,476
  10. #10Doris12,910
  11. #166Erma1,167

Top boys' names in 1932

  1. #1Robert59,268
  2. #2James51,930
  3. #3John48,624
  4. #4William42,124
  5. #5Richard31,809
  6. #6Charles31,092
  7. #7Donald29,794
  8. #8George20,439
  9. #9Joseph18,566
  10. #10Thomas16,834
  11. #2,191Erma12
More about 1932

girls

1,067,148 girls got a published name in 1932; 1 in 914 of them was named Erma, which outranked 96.7% of the 5,098 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Erma
  1. #163Jennie1,190
  2. #164Fannie1,177
  3. #165Verna1,175
  4. #166Erma1,167
  5. #167Genevieve1,148
  6. #168Emily1,147
  7. #169Cora1,136
Biggest movers since 1931
Risers
  1. ↑ 963Dian#1,876 → #913
  2. ↑ 519Carleen#1,394 → #875
  3. ↑ 357Jimmy#1,336 → #979
  4. ↑ 347Letty#1,287 → #940
  5. ↑ 340Letitia#1,148 → #808
Fallers
  1. ↓ 350Blossom#970 → #1,320
  2. ↓ 332Luetta#844 → #1,176
  3. ↓ 305Roy#887 → #1,192
  4. ↓ 289Sofia#887 → #1,176
  5. ↓ 282Joretta#463 → #745

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,044,157 boys got a published name in 1932; 1 in 87,013 of them was named Erma, which outranked 48.9% of the 4,284 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Erma
  1. #2,101Wells13
  2. #2,101Winthrop13
  3. #2,101Zebedee13
  4. #2,191Erma12
  5. #2,191Alfons12
  6. #2,191Alyn12
  7. #2,191Andrea12
  8. #2,313Aime11
  9. #2,313Albion11
  10. #2,313Alcide11

Tied with 121 names at #2,191; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1931
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,418Delano#3,095 → #677
  2. ↑ 969Garner#1,643 → #674
  3. ↑ 868Ronny#1,770 → #902
  4. ↑ 713Darryl#1,693 → #980
  5. ↑ 609Marc#1,589 → #980
Fallers
  1. ↓ 467Jones#959 → #1,426
  2. ↓ 455Hamilton#831 → #1,286
  3. ↓ 393Hyman#697 → #1,090
  4. ↓ 373Davey#983 → #1,356
  5. ↓ 341Hayes#983 → #1,324

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1932 →