Girl · German
Erna
Say it: AIR-nah
Meaning
Probably a short form of Ernestine, from German Ernst 'earnestness'; some connect it to other names.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Common in Germany and Scandinavia in the early 20th century.
Its wave through time
Fading since the 1890s
In the United States
- 9,065 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1898, about 1 in 1,900 girls
- Fewer than 5 babies a year in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
| Swedish | Erna |
|---|---|
| Norwegian | Erna |
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- National birth statistics of European countries source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.