Home › Baby Names Directory › Erastus
Erastus
How to Pronounce Erastus
Pronounced ih-RAS-tus /ɪˈræs.təs/Medium
Meaning: Erastus is a Greek name from erastos, 'beloved.' It appears in the New Testament as a companion of the apostle Paul, which kept it in use among Bible-reading families. That scriptural tie and its clear meaning made it a steady, if never common, American name.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Erastus comes from the Greek erastos, 'beloved.' A New Testament Erastus, an associate of Paul, gave the name scriptural standing, and it was carried by Bible-reading American families into the nineteenth century. It appears in United States records from the 1880s with a small high in the 1910s, and was never common - given to only about two dozen boys a year - fading by mid-century.
A boy named Erastus at its 1910s high would be a great-great-grandfather today; the name reads as solidly Victorian and biblical. Three measured beats give it real dignity, with the easy nickname Ras. It has not revived, but it fits the current taste for weighty Old-and-New-Testament names.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Erastus…
Explore names like Erastus
Frequently Asked
What does the name Erastus mean?
It is a Greek name meaning 'beloved,' borne by a companion of the apostle Paul in the New Testament.
How do you pronounce Erastus?
It's said ih-RAS-tus /ɪˈræs.təs/, three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Erastus a boy or girl name?
Erastus is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Erastus?
It has always been rare, an eighteen-hundreds biblical name given to only about two dozen boys a year and long since faded.