Erica

The name Erica fist appeared on the female naming charts in the middle of the 20th century – in 1945 to be specific. The name slowly climbed the charts to low-moderate popularity and then really took off in usage by the late 1960s. In 1972 Erica became a Top 100 favorite girl’s name in the United States. But she wouldn’t stop there. This “ever powerful” beauty would land a spot on the Top 50 list for 17 straight years (between 1977 and 1993). The heyday of Erica’s popularity came between 1986 and 1988 when she was ranked the 31st most used American girl’s name. Her status during the 1980s certainly coincided with the ϋber-popularity of the widely watch soap opera “All My Children” which featured prominently a headstrong and naughty character named Erica Kane (played by Susan Lucci). Three parts vixen, one part villain, two parts heroine, the beautiful and notorious Erica Kane is arguably the most popular fictional character in soap opera history. It’s not surprising that the usage of the name Erica had some pop-culture influence embedded in this Pine Valley resident. Today, Erica has dropped significantly in popularity since her glory days and is now retreating into the shadows. Nevertheless, Erica is a beautiful, strong and no-nonsense name. It’s a great choice for parents of Swedish or Scandinavian descent (although Erika with a “k” is more true to these origins). The name has a strong sound and an eternally powerful meaning. It’s just one of those names you simply can’t go wrong with.