Erkhes
A variant spelling of the Turkish masculine name Erkush meaning "courage, bravery".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Erkhes. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Erkhes today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Erkhes births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Erkhes. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Erkhes. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,724
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Erkhes: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Erkhes 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 Erkhes during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Erkhes
The name Erkhes has its origins in the ancient Mesopotamian language of Akkadian, which was spoken in the region that is now modern-day Iraq and parts of Syria. The name likely emerged during the later stages of the Akkadian Empire, around the 23rd century BCE. It is derived from the Akkadian word "erkhu," which means "wise" or "learned."
One of the earliest known references to the name Erkhes can be found in a cuneiform inscription from the city of Uruk, dating back to the reign of King Shulgi of the Third Dynasty of Ur (circa 2094-2047 BCE). The inscription mentions an individual named "Erkhes-ili," which translates to "Erkhes is my god."
In the ancient Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest recorded literary works in human history, there is a character named Erkhes-etir, who is described as a wise and learned scribe. This text dates back to around the 18th century BCE, providing further evidence of the name's antiquity.
The first recorded individual with the name Erkhes was a high-ranking official in the court of King Sargon of Akkad (circa 2334-2279 BCE), who is widely regarded as one of the earliest empire-builders in ancient Mesopotamia. This Erkhes served as the chief scribe and advisor to the king, reflecting the name's association with wisdom and learning.
Throughout the subsequent centuries, several notable figures in Mesopotamian history bore the name Erkhes, including a prominent scholar and astronomer who lived during the reign of King Nabonidus of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (circa 556-539 BCE). This Erkhes was renowned for his contributions to the study of celestial movements and the development of the ancient Babylonian calendar.
Another individual of historical significance was Erkhes-ili-bani, a high priest and religious leader who served in the temple of the god Marduk in the city of Babylon during the 5th century BCE. His name, which translates to "Erkhes is the creator of the gods," highlights the name's connection to religious and spiritual domains.
People
Erkhes + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Erkhes 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
Erkhes: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Erkhes?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Erkhes 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Erkhes a common name?
We classify Erkhes as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Erkhes most popular?
The single biggest year for Erkhes was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Erkhes is about 7 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 Erkhes in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Erkhes a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Erkhes 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 Erkhes still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Erkhes 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 Erkhes 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 Erkhes?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.