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Home › Baby Names Directory › Erhard

Erhard

♂ Boy

Pronounced AIR-hart /ˈɛr.hɑrt/Medium

Meaning: Erhard is an old Germanic name compounding ehre ('honor') with hard ('brave, hardy, strong'), read as 'strong in honor' or 'honorably brave.' It was borne by Saint Erhard of Regensburg and later by figures such as economist Ludwig Erhard, and reached the United States with German immigrant families.Medium

In 30 seconds: Erhard is a German boy's name (said AIR-hart) meaning 'honor-brave,' from ehre ('honor') and hard ('strong'). It came to America with German immigrants in the early twentieth century.
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Origin MediumGerman
MeaningErhard is an old Germanic name compounding ehre ('honor') with hard ('brave, hardy, strong'), read as 'strong in honor' or 'honorably brave.' It was borne by Saint Erhard of Regensburg and later by figures such as economist Ludwig Erhard, and reached the United States with German immigrant families.
U.S. rank (1935)#3379 ↘ Falling
1935 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1917
Total births (all-time)≈ 110

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191719141935

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

Erhard is a genuine old Germanic name, joining ehre ('honor') to hard ('brave, hardy'), understood as 'strong in honor.' It was carried by Saint Erhard of Regensburg, an early medieval bishop, and appeared in the United States among German-speaking immigrant families.

American records show Erhard mainly in the nineteen-tens and twenties, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its peak and fading after the German-immigrant generation. A boy named Erhard then would belong to a great-grandparent's era today.

Did you know? The -hard ending in Erhard is the same 'brave, hardy' element found in Bernhard, Gerhard and Reinhard - a whole class of German names built to sound strong.
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Erhard — Germanic ehre + hard; St. Erhard of Regensburg; German immigrant cohort; plain-Latin only.

Variations

EberhardGerhardErhardt

Nicknames

EdHardy

Famous Bearers

  • ★Saint Erhard of Regensburg (7th-8th c.)
    early medieval bishop venerated in Bavaria and Alsace, patron associated with Regensburg

If you like Erhard…

Gerhard— a like German -hard name of the same era
Reinhard— another classic German -hard name
Bernhard— a like strong Germanic boy's name
Hubbard— another vintage pick
Leanard— another vintage pick

Explore names like Erhard

By themevintagegermanstrongimmigrant-era

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Erhard mean?

Erhard is Germanic, from ehre ('honor') and hard ('brave, strong'), meaning roughly 'strong in honor' or 'honorably brave.'

How do you pronounce Erhard?

It is said AIR-hart /ˈɛr.hɑrt/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Erhard a boy or girl name?

Erhard is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Erhard?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-tens.

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