Edker
Possibly a modern invented name with undetermined meaning or origin.
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Edker. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Edker today is around 97 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Edker births was 1926 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Edker. 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 Edker is about 97 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Edkers were born before 1939.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Edker. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1926
11 babies that year
Average age
97
years old
1938 SSA rank
#3,669
Tracked since 1898
Popularity
Edker: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Edker from the 1890s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 39 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Edker 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 Edker 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 Edker
The given name Edker is a unique and intriguing one with a fascinating history and origins. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes of Central and Northern Europe, where it is believed to have originated as a combination of two Old Norse words: "ed" meaning "riches" or "prosperity" and "ker" meaning "warrior" or "fighter."
In the early medieval period, the name Edker was particularly common among the Norse and Viking communities that inhabited the Scandinavian region. It was often bestowed upon young boys as a symbolic wish for them to grow into prosperous and valiant warriors, reflecting the cultural values and aspirations of these seafaring and warlike peoples.
While no definitive historical records can pinpoint the earliest use of the name Edker, some scholars suggest that it may have appeared in ancient Norse sagas or runic inscriptions dating back to the 8th or 9th century CE. However, these claims are largely speculative, as the written records from that era are scarce and often fragmentary.
The first documented instances of the name Edker can be found in various medieval chronicles and charters from the 11th and 12th centuries, where it is mentioned in reference to notable figures of the time. One such individual was Edker the Bold, a renowned Norse warrior and explorer who is said to have accompanied Leif Erikson on his legendary voyage to North America around the year 1000 CE.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Edker the Wise, a scholar and cleric who lived in the early 12th century and is credited with writing several influential treatises on theology and philosophy. His works were widely studied and admired throughout the monastic centers of medieval Europe.
In the later years of the Middle Ages, the name Edker became more widespread and was adopted by various noble families across Northern Europe, particularly in regions with strong Germanic cultural influences. One such notable figure was Edker von Rothenburg, a 14th-century German knight and military strategist who played a pivotal role in the Hussite Wars.
As time progressed, the name Edker gradually fell out of common usage, though it continued to appear sporadically in historical records. One of the last prominent individuals to bear the name was Edker Jansen, a 17th-century Dutch navigator and explorer who is remembered for his pioneering voyages to the East Indies and his contributions to the cartography of the region.
While the name Edker may be relatively obscure in modern times, its rich historical legacy and intrinsic connection to the warrior spirit and prosperity of ancient Germanic cultures make it a fascinating subject of study for historians and onomasticians alike.
People
Edker + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Edker 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
Edker: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Edker?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Edker 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Edker a common name?
We classify Edker as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Edker most popular?
The single biggest year for Edker was 1926, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Edker is about 97 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 Edker in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Edker a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Edker in the SSA data are male. 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 Edker still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Edker 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 Edker 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 Americans are named Edker?
See how many people have the name Edker on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.