Eara
An invented name possibly derived from the Greek word "era" meaning "earth".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Eara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eara today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eara births was 1919 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eara. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Eara is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Earas were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eara. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1919
9 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1942 SSA rank
#4,815
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Eara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eara from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 29 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eara 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 Eara 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 Eara
The given name Eara traces its origins to ancient Anglo-Saxon England, where it emerged as a variant of the Old English name Eara, derived from the word "eare" meaning "ear." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals with prominent or distinctive ears, reflecting the physical attribute naming tradition prevalent during that era.
Eara surfaced in various historical records from the Anglo-Saxon period, including the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appeared in entries related to landowners and tenants, indicating its usage among the ruling classes and commoners alike.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Eara was Eara of Hwicce, a sub-king who ruled over the Hwicce kingdom in the 7th century. He is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a significant historical record documenting events in early medieval England.
In the 9th century, Eara the Scribe gained prominence as a renowned calligrapher and illuminator of manuscripts at the Benedictine monastery in Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumbria. His intricate penmanship and artistic embellishments adorned several religious texts, showcasing the name's association with scholarly pursuits.
During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, Eara fitz Eadric was a notable Anglo-Saxon nobleman who initially supported King Harold II but later pledged allegiance to William the Conqueror. His name appears in the Domesday Book as a landowner in Gloucestershire.
Fast-forwarding to the 13th century, Eara de Braose (c. 1228 – 1292) was a Welsh noblewoman known for her involvement in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III. She played a crucial role in the defense of Hay Castle and is mentioned in contemporary chronicles detailing the conflict.
In the realm of literature, Eara appears as a character in the 14th-century alliterative poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." While the name's significance in the work is debated, its inclusion suggests its continued usage during the Middle English period.
These historical references and notable individuals bearing the name Eara illustrate its enduring presence throughout the centuries, from its Anglo-Saxon origins to its incorporation in literary works and chronicles of medieval England.
People
Eara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eara 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Eara a common name?
We classify Eara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 83 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eara most popular?
The single biggest year for Eara was 1919, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eara is about 88 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 Eara in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eara 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 Eara still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eara 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 Eara 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 are named Eara?
Find out how many Americans are named Eara on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.