Erykah

A girl's name of Scandinavian origin with 1,548 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's name#6702 in 2024Rising fast

Meaning & Origin

A female given name from the Germanic languages, a less common spelling of Erica and Erika.

Erykah is a girl's baby name of Scandinavian origin, a variant spelling of Erica, from the Old Norse Eiríkr, meaning 'eternal ruler' or 'ever-powerful' — the feminine form of Eric.

With over 1,545 recorded births, Erykah is the spelling popularized by Grammy-winning neo-soul artist Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright, 1971), who adopted this spelling as part of her distinctive artistic identity. Her music — spanning neo-soul, R&B, funk, and hip-hop with albums like Baduizm and Mama's Gun — has made her one of the most critically acclaimed and artistically influential artists of her generation. Erykah the spelling now belongs to her.

EtymologyShow more

Phonetically, Erykah belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their open, warm ending — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. At three syllables, it has a three-beat flow that carries a sense of formality and completeness.

Within the Scandinavian naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Scandinavian names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Erykah’s linguistic neighborhood.

At a Glance

1,548

Total births

Since 1997

1997

Peak

279 births

1997

First recorded

28 years of data

Compare Erykah with another name

Popularity Over Time

Erykah was #3580 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #6702, but its charm endures.

First appeared: 1997Peak: 1997 (279 births)Current: #6702

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Erykah
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	78	#7903	▼
2010s	247	#5517	▼
2000s	538	#3433	▼
1990s	685	#966	—

The Story of Erykah

A Gen Z name

Peaking in 1997, Erykah is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Erykah are most likely born between 1997 and 2007.

How rare is Erykah?

Only about 1 in every 211,765 babies born in 2024 was named Erykah — a truly uncommon choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1997, peaked in the 1990s with 685 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Erykah by the numbers

Would fill 32 school buses
Meeting one Erykah per day would take 4.2 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(28 years, 1997–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Erykah
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	17	#6702	+9 (112.5%)
2023	8	#11505	-15 (-65.2%)
2022	23	#5513	+3 (15.0%)
2021	20	#6017	+10 (100.0%)
2020	10	#9777	-12 (-54.5%)
2019	22	#5664	-5 (-18.5%)
2018	27	#4920	+2 (8.0%)
2017	25	#5224	+3 (13.6%)
2016	22	#5851	+5 (29.4%)
2015	17	#7074	-3 (-15.0%)
2014	20	#6278	0
2013	20	#6324	-8 (-28.6%)
2012	28	#5009	-3 (-9.7%)
2011	31	#4601	-4 (-11.4%)
2010	35	#4226	+3 (9.4%)
2009	32	#4605	-9 (-22.0%)
2008	41	#3885	+9 (28.1%)
2007	32	#4599	+2 (6.7%)
2006	30	#4717	-1 (-3.2%)
2005	31	#4405	-10 (-24.4%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Erykah a boy's or girl's name?

Erykah is primarily a girl's name.

When was Erykah most popular?

Erykah reached its peak popularity in 1997 with 279 births that year. It is currently ranked #6702 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Erykah?

Erykah is currently ranked #6702 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 1,548 babies since 1997.

Explore More

By Length6-letter names By OriginScandinavian names By EndingNames in -h TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1997–2024