Earla
A feminine given name derived from the Old English word "earl", meaning "noble".
Name Census estimates that about 270 living Americans carry the first name Earla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Earla today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Earla births was 1949 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Earla. 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 Earla is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Earlas were born before 1962.
People living today
270
~ 1 in 1,269,461 Americans
Peak year
1949
28 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1969 SSA rank
#4,802
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Earla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Earla from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 182 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1940s peak, Earla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Earla 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 Earla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Earlas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Earla
The name Earla is of Old English origin, derived from the word "eorl," meaning "nobleman" or "warrior." It dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD. The name was initially used for men and symbolized strength, bravery, and nobility.
In the early medieval era, the name Earla appeared in various Old English records and chronicles, often referring to prominent figures or influential noblemen. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Earla of Mercia, an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who lived in the 7th century and played a significant role in the Kingdom of Mercia.
As time passed, the name Earla also gained popularity among women, possibly as a feminized version of the masculine name. It was commonly used in England during the Middle Ages and was often associated with individuals of high social standing or noble birth.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Earla was Earla of Northumbria, a powerful noblewoman who lived in the 9th century. She was known for her influence and political acumen during the turbulent period of Viking invasions in England.
In the 12th century, Earla of Wessex, a renowned scholar and abbess, gained recognition for her literary works and her contributions to the intellectual life of the time. Her writings shed light on the cultural and religious aspects of medieval England.
During the Renaissance period, Earla Fitzwilliam (1508-1569) was a prominent English courtier and member of the gentry. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I and was renowned for her wit and intelligence.
Another historical figure worth mentioning is Earla Browne (1614-1665), an English Puritan writer and theologian known for her religious works and her advocacy for women's education and rights.
While the name Earla was predominantly used in England during these earlier periods, it has since spread to other parts of the world, albeit with varying spellings and pronunciations. Despite its rich historical roots, the name has become less common in modern times, though it still carries echoes of its noble and warrior-like origins.
People
Earla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Earla 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
Earla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Earla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 270 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Earla 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 1,269,461 US residents.
Is Earla a common name?
We classify Earla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 742 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Earla most popular?
The single biggest year for Earla was 1949, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Earla is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Earla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Earla 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.
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.