Erasmus

Greek

"beloved, desired"

Erasmus Origin and Meaning

The name Erasmus is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "beloved, desired".

Erasmus has long retained the image of the bearded and bespectacled Dutch philosopher, but could be one that the audacious baby namer just might dare to dust off.

The fourth century Saint Erasmus was also known as Elmo, the patron saint of sailors. The name is closely associated with Renaissance humanist and theologian Desiderius Erasmus, who was born Geert Geerts.

Another less known bearer was Charles Darwin's grandfather, the poet, naturalist and physician Erasmus Darwin. The fictional Erasmus Holyday is a learned teacher in Walter Scott's 1821 novel Kenilworth, published at a time when the name did have some popularity in England.

Erasmus Rank in US Top 1000

# 984 in the US

Erasmus Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1002 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Erasmus

• 1002 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Erasmus

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Erasmus.

• Nicodemus
• Tarquin
• Aurélien
• Ludovic
• Phoebus
• Argus
• Severin
• Anatole
• Erastus
• Gaius
• Silvano
• Artemas
• Rasmus
• Wulfric
• Sylvain
• Silvius
• Melchior
• Cyprian
• Cadmus
• Marceau

Famous People Named Erasmus

• Erasmus Darwin English physician; grandfather of Charles Darwin
• Erasmus James American NFL football player
• Erasmus Gower British naval officer and colonial governor
• Erasmus Ommanney British naval officer and Arctic explorer
• Erasmus Arlington "Arlie" Pond American baseball player and army physician
• Desiderius Erasmus Dutch Renaissance scholar and author of "Praise of Folly"

The name Erasmus in Pop Culture

• Erasmus character in "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" by Jessica Day George
• Erasmus character in "Barbie of Swan Lake"
• Erasmas character in "Anathem" by Neal Stephenson
• Erasmus Holiday character in "Kenilworth" by Sir Walter Scott
• Erasmus Lee a character from the popular Netflix series “Peaky Blinders”

International Variations of the name Erasmus

• Erasmo Spanish
• Erusmo Spanish
• Isasmo Spanish
• Erazino Spanish
• Eresmo Spanish
• Rasmus Spanish
• Erasmun Spanish
• Ras Spanish
• Érasme French