Aerie
A feminine name of French origin relating to a lofty nest or home.
Name Census estimates that about 196 living Americans carry the first name Aerie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aerie today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aerie births was 2013 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aerie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
196
~ 1 in 1,748,747 Americans
Peak year
2013
26 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,570
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Aerie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aerie from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 111 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aerie remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aerie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aerie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aerie
The name Aerie originates from Old English, derived from the word "earie" meaning "nest of an eagle or other bird of prey." It is believed to have emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, dating back to the 5th to 11th centuries. The name was likely inspired by the majestic and powerful nature of these birds, symbolizing strength, freedom, and a connection to the natural world.
In medieval times, the name Aerie was occasionally used as a surname, referring to individuals who lived near or were associated with a bird's nest or aerie. However, its usage as a given name was relatively rare until more recent times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Aerie was Aerie of Mercia, a noblewoman who lived in the Kingdom of Mercia in the 8th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of the religious community.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Aerie de Montfort appears in historical records as a member of the powerful de Montfort family in England. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the time and her influence in the court of King Henry III.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian artist named Aerie Filipepi, born in 1445 and died in 1510, gained recognition for his intricate and detailed paintings depicting scenes from classical mythology and religious subjects.
In the 18th century, Aerie Fitzherbert, born in 1737 and died in 1807, was a prominent figure in British society. She was known for her marriage to King George IV, although their union was not officially recognized due to the Royal Marriages Act.
Another notable individual with the name Aerie was Aerie Nightingale, born in 1820 and died in 1910, who was a pioneering nurse and reformer in the field of healthcare. She is credited with establishing modern nursing practices and improving hospital conditions during the Crimean War.
While the name Aerie has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has gained some popularity in recent times, likely due to its unique and evocative nature. The name continues to carry associations with strength, freedom, and a connection to the natural world, reflecting its rich historical roots.
People
Aerie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aerie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aerie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aerie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 196 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aerie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,748,747 US residents.
Is Aerie a common name?
We classify Aerie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 198 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aerie most popular?
The single biggest year for Aerie was 2013, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aerie is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aerie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aerie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aerie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aerie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aerie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aerie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Aerie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.