2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Erica
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word erike, meaning heather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Erica. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Erica surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Erica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Erica, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 35.8%. The next largest groups are White (34.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (17.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Erica
The surname Erica originates from the Old Norse word 'erika', meaning 'heather'. It is believed to have originated in Scandinavia, particularly in areas where the heather plant was abundant, such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Erica can be traced back to the 13th century in Iceland. In the Icelandic Sagas, a character named Erica is mentioned, suggesting the name's usage during that time period. It is likely that the name was brought to Iceland by Norwegian settlers.
During the Viking Age, many Scandinavian settlers migrated to various parts of Europe, including the British Isles. As a result, the name Erica can be found in historical records from regions like England, Scotland, and Ireland, where it may have been adapted from its Norse origins.
In the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries that potentially refer to individuals with the surname Erica or its derivatives. For example, the entry "Ericus" is listed as a landholder in Lincolnshire, England, which could be an early form of the name.
One notable historical figure with the surname Erica was Erik Eriksson (c. 1216-1295), a Swedish nobleman and statesman who served as the Jarl (Earl) of Sweden during the 13th century. He played a significant role in consolidating the power of the Swedish monarchy and establishing the country's legal code.
Another individual with the surname Erica was Erica Gustava Geijer (1624-1717), a Swedish noblewoman and landowner. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and for founding several schools and hospitals in Sweden during her lifetime.
In Scotland, the surname Erica is sometimes recorded as Eryk or Erick. One notable bearer of this name was Erick Stewart (c. 1460-1536), a Scottish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
In the Netherlands, the surname Erica has been recorded as early as the 16th century. One prominent individual with this surname was Erica van Ericum (1575-1646), a Dutch merchant and explorer who traveled extensively throughout the East Indies and established trade routes for the Dutch East India Company.
While the surname Erica has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name's connection to the heather plant and its historical associations with nobility and exploration make it a distinctive and intriguing surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Erica
Among Census respondents with the surname Erica, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 35.8%. The next largest groups are White (34.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (17.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Erica bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Erica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino35.8% · 38
- White34.9% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.0% · 18
- Black or African American10.4% · 11
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Erica
Erica appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,895 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Erica surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #152,339 | 3.1% |
| Count | 103 | 106 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Erica bearers went from 103 to 106 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,895 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,339.
FAQ
Erica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Erica?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Erica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Erica?
Erica ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Erica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Erica.
Has Erica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Erica went from 103 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Erica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Erica, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 35.8%. The next largest groups are White (34.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (17.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Erica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 35.8% (38 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Erica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (35.8%), White (34.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Erica (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Erica mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word erike, meaning heather. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Erica (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Erica?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.