Ermelinda
Of Italian and Old German origin meaning "complete battle" or "universal warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 881 living Americans carry the first name Ermelinda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ermelinda today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ermelinda births was 1964 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ermelinda. 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.
People living today
881
~ 1 in 389,051 Americans
Peak year
1964
41 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,866
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Ermelinda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ermelinda from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 283 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ermelinda 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 Ermelinda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ermelindas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Ermelinda, while New Mexico, New York, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 100 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ermelinda
The name Ermelinda originates from the Germanic languages, with roots that can be traced back to the 5th and 6th centuries AD. It is derived from the words "ermil" meaning "entire" or "whole" and "lind" meaning "soft" or "tender." Together, the name can be interpreted as "entirely soft" or "completely tender."
Ermelinda gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions where Germanic influence was strong, such as parts of modern-day Germany, France, and Italy. The name was often associated with nobility and was borne by several notable figures throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 9th century, when an Ermelinda was mentioned in the Annals of Fulda, a historical chronicle written by monks in the Frankish Empire. Ermelinda was the name of a noblewoman who lived during the reign of Charlemagne.
In the 11th century, an Ermelinda di Biandrate was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Italy. She was the wife of King Arduin of Italy and played a significant role in the political affairs of the region during her husband's reign.
Another notable Ermelinda was Ermelinda of Lenzburg, who lived in the 12th century. She was a countess and the daughter of Arnold III, Count of Lenzburg. Ermelinda was known for her piety and her patronage of religious institutions.
In the 13th century, an Ermelinda di Narbona was a prominent figure in the Catalan region of Spain. She was the wife of Jaume I, King of Aragon, and played an important role in the cultural and artistic life of the Catalan court.
In the 15th century, Ermelinda Lambertazzi was an Italian noblewoman from the influential Lambertazzi family of Bologna. She was known for her beauty and her involvement in the political intrigues of the time.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Ermelinda. The name has endured throughout the centuries, reflecting its rich Germanic heritage and its association with nobility and cultural significance.
People
Ermelinda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ermelinda 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
Ermelinda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ermelinda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 881 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ermelinda 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 389,051 US residents.
Is Ermelinda a common name?
We classify Ermelinda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,374 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ermelinda most popular?
The single biggest year for Ermelinda was 1964, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ermelinda is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ermelinda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ermelinda 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.