Girl · #13,458 in 2026

Erna

Erna is a Germanic feminine given name. It is a simplified version of Ernesta, in turn from Ernest. People with the name include:Erna Aaltonen, Finnish ceramist Erna von Abendroth (1887–1959), German nurse and trainer/teacher Erna Auerbach (1897–1975), German-born British artist and art historian Erna Barschak (1888–1958), German teacher and psychologist Erna Baumbauer (1919–2010), German casting…

Current Rank
#13,458
Peak Rank
#321 (1916)
Total Babies
9K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1880
First Year
2021
Last Year
1916
Peak Year
#321
Peak Rank
9K
Total Count
120
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Erna

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

Erna is a Germanic feminine given name. It is a simplified version of Ernesta, in turn from Ernest. People with the name include:Erna Aaltonen, Finnish ceramist Erna von Abendroth (1887–1959), German nurse and trainer/teacher Erna Auerbach (1897–1975), German-born British artist and art historian Erna Barschak (1888–1958), German teacher and psychologist Erna Baumbauer (1919–2010), German casting…

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

The Story of Erna

Erna first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 358 Ernas were born — ranking #321 that year. As of 2026, Erna ranks #13,458 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 9K Ernas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Erna

Phonetically similar names — useful when Erna 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 Erna

What does the name Erna mean?
Erna is a Germanic feminine given name. It is a simplified version of Ernesta, in turn from Ernest. People with the name include:Erna Aaltonen, Finnish ceramist Erna von Abendroth (1887–1959), German nurse and trainer/teacher Erna Auerbach (1897–1975), German-born British artist and art historian Erna Barschak (1888–1958), German teacher and psychologist Erna Baumbauer (1919–2010), German casting…
How popular is Erna in 2026?
In 2026, Erna ranks #13,458 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Erna most popular?
Erna reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #321 that year with 358 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Erna most popular?
Erna has historically been most popular in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Erna.
Is Erna a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Erna is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Erna?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Erna include Gracelyn, Dionne, Adelia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Gracelyn
Peak #321
👧
Dionne
Peak #321
👧
Adelia
Peak #322
👧
Clare
Peak #320
👧
Tilda
Peak #320
👧
Adelina
Peak #320
👧
Kaye
Peak #322
👧
Leanne
Peak #320

About the name Erna

Erna is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Erna's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #321. Use the chart and map above to compare Erna'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.