Meaning & Origin
A female given name from the Germanic languages, of rare usage, variant of Irma.
Erma is a girl's and boy's baby name of Germanic origin, a variant of Irma, from the Germanic Irmin (an old Saxon deity name meaning 'world' or 'universal'), meaning 'universal' or 'whole, entire' — a vintage American name with Germanic roots that was warmly common in the early 20th century.
With over 54,923 recorded births, Erma was most popular in American naming from the 1890s through the 1930s. Erma Bombeck (1927–1996), the beloved American humorist whose syndicated newspaper column about suburban family life reached 30 million readers a week, is the name's most enduringly famous bearer — her wit, warmth, and ability to find comedy in the chaos of motherhood made her one of America's most beloved voices.