Ermila
A feminine Spanish variant of the name Hermilia, meaning "wanderer" or "nomad".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Ermila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ermila today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ermila births was 1984 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ermila. 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 Ermila. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1984
6 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
1989 SSA rank
#13,001
Tracked since 1936
Census
Ermila in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 416 people with the first name Ermila, which placed it at #23,505 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#23,505
National first-name rank
People counted
416
416 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
94.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ermila
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ermila is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Ermila described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Ermila at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.2% · 392
- Black or African American2.9% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Popularity
Ermila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ermila from the 1930s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Ermila remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ermila 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 Ermila 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 Ermila
The given name Ermila is believed to have originated from the Greek language and culture, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "Hermes," which was the name of the Greek god of travelers, heraldry, and commerce. The name Ermila is a feminine form of the name Hermes, often used as a variant or diminutive.
In ancient Greek mythology, Hermes was a prominent figure, often depicted as a messenger of the gods who facilitated communication and facilitated travel between the realms of mortals and the divine. The name Ermila may have been bestowed upon individuals as a symbol of protection, guidance, or as a tribute to this significant deity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ermila can be found in the historical records of the Byzantine Empire, where it was used among the Greek-speaking population during the Middle Ages. However, the name's use was not limited to this region, as it also gained popularity in other parts of the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ermila. One such person was Ermila of Arles, a Christian saint and martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. She is venerated in the Catholic Church for her unwavering faith and steadfastness in the face of persecution during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Another prominent figure named Ermila was Ermila Margarita de Santa Teresa (1616-1684), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Order of the Discalced Carmelites in Spain. She was known for her devotion to the Catholic faith and her writings on spiritual matters, which continue to influence religious thought and practice.
In the realm of literature, Ermila Galindo (1835-1904) was a notable Mexican poet and educator. Her works celebrated Mexican culture and identity, and she played a significant role in promoting education and literary appreciation in her country.
Moving to the world of art, Ermila Gómez Gallardo (1886-1966) was a renowned Mexican painter and printmaker. Her works captured the vibrant colors and traditions of her homeland, and she is considered a pioneering figure in the Mexican Modernist movement.
Lastly, Ermila Rivero (1924-2017) was a prominent Cuban singer and actress. She gained widespread popularity for her performances in musicals and films, and her talent and charisma made her a beloved figure in the entertainment industry of Latin America.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals who have carried the name Ermila throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions it has been a part of.
People
Ermila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ermila 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
Ermila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ermila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ermila 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Ermila a common name?
We classify Ermila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 41 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ermila most popular?
The single biggest year for Ermila was 1984, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ermila is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Ermila in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 416 people with the name Ermila, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #23,505 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Ermila in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ermila?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Ermila appears almost entirely female. Of the 412 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ermila?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ermila is Hispanic at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Ermila most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Ermila in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (392 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Ermila in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ermila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ermila 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 Ermila still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ermila 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 Ermila 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.
How many people share the name Ermila?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.