Erma

UR-mah

Variation of Irma, English, German, Slovene

"whole, great, universal; army man"

Erma Origin and Meaning

The name Erma is a girl's name meaning "whole, great, universal; army man".

A variation of the German Irma, Erma emerged in the 19th century in English-speaking countries where its similarity to timeless Emma might have helped it gain popularity. In fact, if you follow its Germanic roots, it relates back to irmin meaning "whole, great", the same as Emma does.

Another possibility is that it derives from Ermina, the Slovene variation of Hermina, the feminine form the Germanic Herman, meaning "army man".

Popular in the early 1900s, it hasn't appeared in the US charts since the late '60s. Is it ready for a comeback? Perhaps not quite yet, but then again, it's not too dissimilar to Alma, Emma, and Esther, and it might even appeal to those who like Emerson, but want something more old fashioned?

Erma was given to 22 girls in 2023.

Erma Rank in US Top 1000

# 960 in the US

20 Names Similar to Erma

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

• Harman
• Marge
• Suzannah
• Chloie
• Hermann
• Vilma
• Kristi
• Kirsti
• Ivanhoe
• Mart
• Longfellow
• Steena
• O'keeffe
• Susann
• Lyndsay
• Miner
• Iluminata
• Tracey
• Terri
• Salli

Famous People Named Erma

• Erma Louise Bombeck American journalist and author
• Erma Vernice Franklin American R&B singer, sister of Aretha Franklin
• Erma M. Bergmann All,American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher
• Erma Perham Proetz American ad exec; first woman inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame

The name Erma in Pop Culture

• Erma Felna character in comic book series "Erma Felna: EDF" by Steve Gallacci