Girl · #2,978 in 2026

Era

Name: Popularity of the name Era in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Era, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.

Current Rank

#2,978

Peak Rank

#340 (1916)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+29%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1916

Peak Year

#340

Peak Rank

Total Count

138

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Era

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

The word has been in use in English since 1615, and is derived from Late Latin aera "an era or epoch from which time is reckoned," probably identical to Latin æra "counters used for calculation," plural of æs "brass, money". The Latin word use in chronology seems to have begun in 5th century Visigothic Spain, where it appears in the History of Isidore of Seville , and in later texts. The Spanish era is calculated from 38 BC, Before Christ, perhaps because of a tax (cfr. indiction ) levied in that year, or due to a miscalculation of the Battle of Actium , which occurred in 31 BC. Like epoch, "e

The Story of Era

Era first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 157 Eras were born — ranking #524 that year. As of 2026, Era ranks #2,978 for baby girls with 55 births, rising sharply (+29% over the past five years). In total, more than 6K Eras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Era

Phonetically similar names — useful when Era is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Era

What does the name Era mean?

How popular is Era in 2026?

In 2026, Era ranks #2,978 among girls' names in the U.S., with 55 babies given the name that year.

When was Era most popular?

Era reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #340 that year with 157 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Era most popular?

Era has historically been most popular in Alabama, Georgia, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Era.

Is Era a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Era is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Era?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Era include Lesa, Shelba, Iola. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Era

Era is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Era's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #340. Use the chart and map above to compare Era's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.