Erma
A form of Irma, which began as a short version of longer Germanic names containing ermen, an element meaning whole or universal.
Erma in 2025
Erma was given to 24 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 9,172nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 138,139 babies born.
The history of Erma
Erma reached its highest point in 1920, when 1,541 babies were given the name, ranking 263rd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 200th, in 1906.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 55,187 babies have been named Erma. Half of them were born before 1927, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Erma by decade
| Decade | Babies named Erma | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 540 | 387 |
| 1890s | 1,895 | 252 |
| 1900s | 3,623 | 200 |
| 1910s | 11,015 | 203 |
| 1920s | 14,327 | 263 |
| 1930s | 9,778 | 304 |
| 1940s | 6,582 | 418 |
| 1950s | 3,921 | 617 |
| 1960s | 1,719 | 1,137 |
| 1970s | 639 | 2,032 |
| 1980s | 385 | 3,126 |
| 1990s | 235 | 5,490 |
| 2000s | 225 | 7,982 |
| 2010s | 179 | 9,090 |
| 2020s | 124 | 9,128 |
Where Erma is heading
Erma has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 25 babies in 2015 to 24 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1920 peak — Erma is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Erma
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Erma.