Jerika
A feminine name of German origin meaning "evergreen".
Name Census estimates that about 1,410 living Americans carry the first name Jerika. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jerika today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jerika births was 1988 (106 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jerika. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 243,088 Americans
Peak year
1988
106 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,283
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Jerika: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jerika from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 639 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jerika 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 Jerika during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jerikas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Jerika, while Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jerika
The name Jerika has its roots in the ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "jerahaz," which translates to "spear" or "javelin." This connection to weaponry and warfare suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who were skilled in combat or were born into warrior families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jerika can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing a translation of the Bible into Gothic. In this text, the name appears as "Jerika," referring to a character mentioned in the Book of Judges.
During the Middle Ages, the name gained popularity among the Germanic tribes that settled in various regions of Europe. It was particularly prevalent among the Franks, who inhabited modern-day France and parts of Germany. Notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Jerika of Burgundy (c. 890-923 CE), a noblewoman who played a significant role in the political affairs of the Frankish Kingdom.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Jerica, Jerika, and Jerikah. In the 12th century, a religious text known as the Codex Calixtinus, which documented the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, mentions a woman named Jerika who was a benefactor to the church.
During the Renaissance period, the name Jerika continued to be used, though it was less common than in earlier centuries. One notable figure from this era was Jerika von Anhalt (1516-1572), a German noblewoman and patron of the arts who supported the work of artists and intellectuals.
In the 17th century, the name gained some prominence in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as Jerica or Jerika. Jerika van Rensselaer (1605-1689) was a Dutch colonist who played a significant role in the establishment of the colony of Rensselaerswyck, which later became part of New York state.
Throughout history, the name Jerika has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, religious figures, and patrons of the arts. While its usage has waxed and waned over the centuries, the name has maintained its connection to its Germanic roots and its association with strength and warrior heritage.
People
Jerika + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jerika as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jerika: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jerika?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,410 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jerika 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 243,088 US residents.
Is Jerika a common name?
We classify Jerika as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,457 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jerika most popular?
The single biggest year for Jerika was 1988, when 106 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jerika is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jerika a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jerika 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.