Ersa
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "rose" or "wisdom".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Ersa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ersa today is around 144 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ersa births was 1919 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ersa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ersa with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ersa is about 144 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ersas were born before 1892.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ersa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1919
8 babies that year
Average age
144
years old
1934 SSA rank
#4,478
Tracked since 1904
Popularity
Ersa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ersa from the 1900s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 35 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ersa 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 Ersa 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 Ersa
The given name Ersa is believed to have originated from the Etruscan language, an ancient Indo-European language spoken in what is now modern-day Italy. The Etruscans were a highly influential civilization that predated the Roman Empire and left a significant cultural and linguistic impact on the region.
The exact etymology of the name Ersa is uncertain, but it is thought to be derived from the Etruscan word "ers," which means "earth" or "soil." This connection to the earth and fertile land suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of fertility, abundance, and agricultural prosperity in ancient Etruscan culture.
While there are no known historical references to the name Ersa in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 5th century BCE. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Ersa Velimna, an Etruscan noblewoman who lived around 450 BCE and whose name was inscribed on a funerary stele discovered in the Etruscan city of Vulci.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ersa. One such figure was Ersa Gherardesca (1230-1293), an Italian noblewoman from the powerful Gherardesca family of Pisa. She was known for her involvement in the conflicts between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, two rival political factions in medieval Italy.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ersa Odescalchi (1579-1628), an Italian noblewoman and philanthropist from the influential Odescalchi family. She was renowned for her charitable works and her support of religious institutions in Rome.
In the realm of literature, Ersa Grillparzer (1791-1872) was an Austrian writer and dramatist who is considered one of the most significant playwrights of the German Romantic period. His works, such as "The Jewess of Toledo" and "King Ottokar's Rise and Fall," explored themes of love, honor, and political intrigue.
Lastly, Ersa Gräfin von Starhemberg (1863-1945) was an Austrian noblewoman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the women's movement and advocated for women's rights and education in the early 20th century.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have borne the name Ersa throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Ersa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ersa 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
Ersa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ersa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ersa 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Ersa a common name?
We classify Ersa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 69 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ersa most popular?
The single biggest year for Ersa was 1919, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ersa is about 144 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 Ersa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ersa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ersa 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 Ersa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ersa 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 Ersa 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 share the name Ersa?
Want to know how many Americans are named Ersa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.