Ercie
A diminutive feminine form of the name Ercilia, of unknown meaning and origin.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Ercie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ercie today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ercie births was 1909 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ercie. 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 Ercie is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ercies were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ercie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1909
10 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1934 SSA rank
#4,473
Tracked since 1904
Popularity
Ercie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ercie from the 1900s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 44 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ercie 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 Ercie 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 Ercie
The name Ercie is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a diminutive form of the name Ercenbald, which was derived from the Old English words "eorcan" meaning "precious" and "bald" meaning "bold" or "brave." This combination suggests that the name Ercie was originally bestowed upon individuals who were considered to be courageous and highly valued within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ercie appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This historical document mentions an individual named Ercie who held land in the county of Essex. Unfortunately, little is known about this particular person beyond their name and landholdings.
In the 13th century, an English monk named Ercie of Abingdon gained recognition for his scholarly pursuits and contributions to the field of theology. Born in 1210, Ercie spent much of his life at the renowned Abingdon Abbey, where he authored several treatises and played a pivotal role in the abbey's intellectual life.
During the Renaissance period, Ercie Hawkins, born in 1545, was a notable English playwright and poet. Although his works have been largely overshadowed by his contemporaries, such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, Hawkins was celebrated in his time for his witty comedies and inventive verse.
In the 18th century, Ercie Cartwright, born in 1735, made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in England. As an inventor and industrialist, Cartwright is credited with patenting the power loom, a groundbreaking machine that revolutionized the weaving process and paved the way for the mass production of textiles.
Lastly, Ercie Munro, born in 1890, was a Scottish artist renowned for her vibrant landscape paintings capturing the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Her works were widely exhibited and celebrated during her lifetime, and she is now regarded as an important figure in the Scottish Colourist movement.
While the name Ercie may have fallen out of widespread use in recent times, its historical significance and rich heritage remain an intriguing aspect of English onomastics, providing a glimpse into the cultural and linguistic traditions of past eras.
People
Ercie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ercie 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
Ercie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ercie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ercie 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Ercie a common name?
We classify Ercie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ercie most popular?
The single biggest year for Ercie was 1909, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ercie is about 93 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 Ercie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ercie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ercie 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 Ercie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ercie 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 Ercie 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 Ercie as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.