Erika | Oh Baby! Names

Home » What Does The Name Erika Mean » Erika | Oh Baby! Names

Maybe your like

Skip to content
  • Follow us On: Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Browse by Initial Letter

  • a
  • b
  • c
  • d
  • e
  • f
  • g
  • h
  • i
  • j
  • k
  • l
  • m
  • n
  • o
  • p
  • q
  • r
  • s
  • t
  • u
  • v
  • w
  • x
  • y
  • z
Erika

Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Erika

Erika is the preferred spelling within Germany, most of Scandinavia and Slavic countries. This name is the female equivalent of the Scandinavian male name Erik which hails from the Old Norse Eirik. Eirik is derived from the North Germanic element “ei” (meaning ‘ever, always’) and “ríkr” (meaning ‘ruler’). The masculine name was introduced to England by Scandinavian settlers during the Viking Age (8th to 12th centuries); although, the female version of the name wasn’t coined until the 18th century. Like Erik (with a “k” instead of a “c”), Erika seems to be the more popular spelling among Nordic and Slavic people, as well as within Germany. Interestingly, Erika is also a popular name in Spain and the autonomous region of Catalonia. Then again, the Iberian Peninsula was occupied by several Germanic tribes throughout the course of its history, first the Vandals and then the Visigoths most notably, and therefore influenced by names of Germanic and/or Nordic origins (the Norsemen were a North Germanic tribe themselves). Erica tends to be the Latinized and Western European spelling of the name, while Erika is more common among Eastern Europeans. We are also compelled to mention a historically notorious Nazi Germany military marching song called “Erika” first composed in the 1930s and used widely during WWII. If you can separate yourself from the song’s propaganda origins during the most shameful period of Germany’s history, the lyrics are actually quite lovely. “On the heath a little flower blooms and it's called: Erika. / Hot from a hundred thousand little bees that swarm over Erika / because her heart is full of sweetness.”

All About the Baby Name – Erika

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ERIKA

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ERIKA

Erika has very closely shadowed her more popular sister Erica on the American female naming charts for the last sixty-odd years. Erica first appeared in 1945; Erika made her debut in 1957. Both names climbed the charts as the years progressed, with Erika always trailing in popularity. Nonetheless, Erika has seen impressive usage in her own right. The name became a Top 100 favorite name choice among American parents for their little girls during the 1980s and early 1990s. Both Erica and Erika have fallen substantially on the charts since the turn of the 21st century, but if you look at their popularity combined, the name is quite a bit more popular than first meets the eye. Erika is a strong (almost harsh) Germanic name with Old Norse beginnings. Like the Vikings of her people, Erika is a name of fortitude and ‘eternal power’. It has an Eastern European sensibility and pragmatism. Erika is no wall-flower or shrinking violet. She’s an Eight in numerology – which has everything to do with power.

Quick Facts

ON ERIKA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

German

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

611

PRONUNCIATION:

AIR-eck-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Eternal ruler, ever powerful

Characteristics

OF ERIKA

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Erika

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ERIKA

Erika Berger is a secondary character in Stieg Larsson’s popular three-part book series beginning with “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. She is Mikael Blomkvist's long-time lover and also his boss at the newspaper Millennium. Although she herself is married, we learn that Erika’s husband turns a blind eye to her affair with Blomkvist understanding he must accept the insatiable attraction each has for the other. Erika is strong, smart, sexy fearless, powerful and pretty unconventional (as evidenced by her open extramarital affair). Other women with whom Blomkvist gets involved find her threatening and intimidating – so it’s probably by no mistake that the author chose Erika for the name of this character. He needed a powerful name for a powerful woman.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ERIKA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Erika

Popular Songs

ON ERIKA

Erikaa German march songErika with the Windy Yellow Haira song by Mary Travers

Famous People

NAMED ERIKA

Erika Christensen (actress) Erika Alexander (actress) Erika Eleniak (actress/model)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ERIKA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Erika

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ERIKA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Erika

SEARCH FOR BOY NAMESSEARCH FOR GIRL NAMES

Explore Our Products

  • Name Stories: The Perfect & Unique Gift for Someone You Love

Explore Our Products

  • CLICK HERE For a Special Offer

Newsletter Sign Up

Get our latest offers and news straight in your inbox

Copyright © 2026 Oh Baby Names. All Rights Reserved.

Popular Baby Name Searches

Fun Stuff

Company

CLOSE Sign In

[wpum_login_form psw_link=”yes” register_link=”yes” ]

×

Tag » What Does The Name Erika Mean