Given name & surname · also Scandinavian
Erica
“ever the ruler”
Erica is a feminine form of Eric. One Scandinavian interpretation is “ever the ruler.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Erica is a feminine form of Eric. One Scandinavian interpretation is “ever the ruler.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Scandinavian and Latin naming traditions.
How it developed
Erica is used as a feminine counterpart of Eric.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1909. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Erica through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 232,637
- 1,024 boys · 231,613 girls
- Most popular year
- 1986
- 10,032 babies
- 2025
- 156
- #1,399 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −40%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 156 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,399 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 39.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 9,973 in 1986. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 215,652 as a first name in 2020; 106 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Erica’s family of names
Erica is a feminine form of Eric. In English usage, Erica has a related form in Erika. Erica shares a linguistic root with Erika.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Erica has relatives in 17 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
15 related names in 17 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Ericmasculine form · English
- Rickierelated form
- Jericaequivalent
- Ricarelated form
- Erichaequivalent
- Dericaequivalent
- Eiríkaequivalent
- ÉrikaFrench, Portuguese
Show 4 moreShow fewer
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Erica
- Erica JongAmerican novelist, poet, memoirist, criticborn 1942
- Erykah BaduAmerican singer-songwriter (born 1971)
- Erica DuranceCanadian actressborn 1978
- Erica FernandesIndian actressborn 1993
- Erica LeerhsenAmerican actressborn 1976
- Erica CerraCanadian actressborn 1979
- Erica WiebeCanadian wrestlerborn 1989
- Erica SullivanAmerican swimmerborn 2000
- Erica BakerEngineer and engineering managerborn 1980
Characters named Erica: Erica Hahn (Grey's Anatomy), Erica Kane (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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