The first name Erasmus
A boy’s name from Greek.
Pronounced /ɪˈɹæzməs/ 3 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
From Medieval Latin Erasmus. The EU student exchange programme is named after Erasmus of Rotterdam, and also a backronym for “European [Community] Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Erasmus last appeared in the official list in 2020, given to 3 boys.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Erasmus with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Erasmus at birth, 1880–2025
In 2021, 6 boys born in the United States were named Erasmus, the 11,167th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 8 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Erasmus in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Erasmus in Danish too.
Famous people named Erasmus
11 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- ErasmusDutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian (1466-1536)
- Erasmus DarwinEnglish physician (1731-1802)
- Erasmus ReinholdGerman astronomer and mathematician, 1511–1553
- Erasmus Quellinus IIFlemish painter (1607-1678)
- Erasmus AlberusGerman humanist, reformer and poet (ca 1500-1533)
- Johann Erasmus KindermannGerman composer and organist, 1616–1655
- Peter Erasmus MüllerDanish historian, linguist, and clergy member, 1776–1834
- Erasmus Quellinus the ElderFlemish sculptor (1580-1640)
- Erasmus D. KeyesBusinessman, banker, and military general (1810-1895)
- Erasmus WidmannGerman composer, 1572–1634
- Rasmus BartholinDanish scientist, physician and grammarian (1625-1698)
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Erasmus mean?
- From Medieval Latin Erasmus. The EU student exchange programme is named after Erasmus of Rotterdam, and also a backronym for “European [Community] Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”.
- What is the origin of the name Erasmus?
- From Medieval Latin Erasmus. The EU student exchange programme is named after Erasmus of Rotterdam, and also a backronym for “European [Community] Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students”.
- How popular is the name Erasmus?
- In 2020, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Erasmus, ranking 4,608th.
- Is Erasmus a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 117 US babies named Erasmus since 1880 were boys.
- When was Erasmus most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 8 babies were named Erasmus, its highest rank at 3,295th.
- How do you pronounce Erasmus?
- Erasmus is /ɪˈɹæzməs/, 3 syllables.