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Erma as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Erma

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The baby name Erma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɜːrmə/ (ER-mə).

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Pronunciation: /ˈɜːrmə/ (ER-mə)

What is the meaning of the name Erma ?

The baby name Erma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɜːrmə/ (ER-mə).

Erma is in Origin.

Erma is an English respelling of Irma, from the Germanic element ermen/irmin meaning “whole, universal” and often interpreted as “strong.” It began as a short form of compound names starting with Irm-/Erm-, such as Irmgard, Irmhild, and Ermentrude. The name spread through Central and Northern Europe as Irma; Erma emerged in the United States and, less often, Britain in the late 19th century.

In the U.S., Erma peaked between 1910 and 1930 and is now a vintage rarity. Notable bearers include humorist Erma Bombeck and soul singer Erma Franklin. Variants and cognates include Irma (the standard international form) and longer relatives sharing the same root, such as Ermengarde and Ermentrude; diminutives include Irmi (German) and Ermie. Despite the surface similarity, the name is distinct from Greek Herma/Hermes. Its meaning is commonly rendered as “universal; whole,” suggesting steadiness and strength.

Erma has the following similar or variant Names

Erma – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
BN Girls 0 #88 19 5,459
ID Girls 0 #88 11 3,319
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
AL Girls 0 #206 17 4,141
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Girls 0 #223 9 3,559
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
JP Girls 0 #247 5 6,592
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
EC Girls 0 #257 2 3,650
MO Girls 0 #258 6 7,056
TW Girls 0 #266 11 8,139
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
KZ Boys 0 #289 8 6,578
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
Canada Girls 1998 #301 5 2,398
AL Boys 0 #302 2 5,122
QA Girls 0 #303 14 15,378
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
MY 0 #306 25 12,352
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
PH Girls 0 #319 73 13,098
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
SD Girls 0 #333 13 7,678
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
HK 0 #356 2 8,483
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
OM Girls 0 #369 28 15,987
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
MY Girls 0 #445 692 24,821
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
ZA 0 #469 6 14,421
KW Girls 0 #487 29 19,177
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
AE Girls 0 #511 43 20,968
PS Girls 0 #514 10 10,981
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
SG Girls 0 #529 58 18,916
BH 0 #533 21 17,937
UY Girls 0 #534 3 6,731
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
HK Girls 0 #580 36 16,104
AR Girls 0 #624 7 8,289
IL Girls 0 #642 4 11,648
BO Girls 0 #645 7 9,488
LB 0 #684 7 13,263
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
KW Boys 0 #804 3 18,755
CL Girls 0 #816 36 14,098
NG Girls 0 #821 6 15,093
SA Girls 0 #821 115 25,931
Germany Girls 0 #829 10 4,949
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
NL Girls 0 #895 61 5,933
PE Girls 0 #895 49 14,861
United States Girls 2024 #903 14 8,487
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,001 9 14,742
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,060 19 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,085 27 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,094 48 25,928
AE Boys 0 #1,140 4 22,615
MX Girls 0 #1,165 19 17,781
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
TR 0 #1,247 8 19,440
ZA Boys 0 #1,271 2 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,392 55 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,449 23 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,687 5 28,008

Erma is popular in 64 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
AL
AO
AR

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People also ask about Erma

Erma is predominantly a girl's name.
Erma is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈɜːrmə/ (ER-mə).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Irma, Ermina, Irmina, Erminia, Ermelinda and Ermengarde.
Across languages, Erma has these equivalents: Irma (German/Spanish), Erminia (Italian), Irmina (Polish/German), Ermengarde/Ermengarda (medieval Germanic).
Yes — Erma ranked #301 in Canada in 1998, and appears in official birth registries across 2 countries.
Erma ranks highest in Canada (#301 in 1998).
Erma's popularity is rising. It moved from #912 in 2014 to #903 in 2024 in United States.