Meaning & Origin
A taxonomic genus within the family Ericaceae – heaths and heathers.
Erica is a girl's and boy's baby name of Old Norse origin, the feminine form of Eric — from the Old Norse Eiríkr, combining ei ("ever, always") and ríkr ("ruler, king"), meaning "eternal ruler." The name also shares its spelling with the genus Erica, the heather plant, adding a botanical dimension.
Erica was in the U.S. top 25 girls' names from the 1970s through the 1990s. Erica Kane, the iconic soap opera character on All My Children played by Susan Lucci, kept the name at the center of daytime television for decades — giving it an association with glamour, ambition, and resilience.