Eirian
A feminine Welsh name meaning "snow" or "born in January".
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Eirian. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 56.0% of registrations being male. The average person named Eirian today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eirian births was 2024 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eirian. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Eirian with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eirian. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
2024
14 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,238
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Eirian
Eirian is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 25 total registrations, 14 (56.0%) were male and 11 (44.0%) were female.
Eirian as a male name
- Ranked #6,238 in 2024
- 14 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (14 births)
Eirian as a female name
- Ranked #14,628 in 2017
- 6 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2017 (6 births)
Popularity
Eirian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eirian from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 14 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eirian by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Eirian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eirian
Eirian is a Welsh given name with roots in the Celtic languages. It is derived from the Welsh word "arian," which means "silver" or "money." The name likely originated in Wales during the medieval period, when Welsh names were commonly derived from nature-based words or descriptions of physical attributes.
In Welsh mythology, Eirian was the name of a character associated with the legend of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain. This connection suggests that the name has been in use for centuries, possibly dating back to the early Middle Ages or even earlier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eirian can be found in the genealogical records of Welsh nobility, where it appears as the name of a woman named Eirian ferch Einion, who lived in the 13th century. She was the daughter of Einion ap Seisyll, a Welsh prince from Powys.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Eirian. One of the most famous was Eirian Llwyd (1534-1616), a Welsh poet and scholar who was celebrated for her mastery of the Welsh language and her contributions to Welsh literature.
Another notable figure was Eirian Tairen (fl. 15th century), a Welsh bard and poet who is believed to have lived during the 15th century. His works, though not widely preserved, were highly regarded by his contemporaries.
In the 20th century, Eirian Williams (1925-2012) was a Welsh academic and author who specialized in the study of Welsh language and literature. She served as the principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and was recognized for her efforts in promoting Welsh culture and education.
Eirian James (1926-2010) was a Welsh actress and singer who gained fame for her performances in Welsh-language productions. She was a prominent figure in the Welsh arts community and worked to preserve and promote Welsh culture through her artistic endeavors.
Finally, Eirian Talfan Davies (1916-2005) was a Welsh historian, author, and broadcaster who made significant contributions to the understanding of Welsh history and culture. She was widely respected for her scholarly work and her efforts to raise awareness of Wales's rich heritage.
People
Eirian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eirian as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eirian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eirian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eirian going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Eirian a common name?
We classify Eirian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eirian most popular?
The single biggest year for Eirian was 2024, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eirian is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Eirian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eirian a male name?
Yes, 56.0% of people registered as Eirian in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Eirian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eirian in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Eirian can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Eirian?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.