Eran
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "watcher" or "watchful".
Name Census estimates that about 664 living Americans carry the first name Eran. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 87.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Eran today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eran births was 1981 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eran. 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.
People living today
664
~ 1 in 516,196 Americans
Peak year
1981
27 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,287
Tracked since 1966
Gender
Gender distribution for Eran
Eran leans heavily male at 87.5% of total registrations, but 87 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Eran as a male name
- Ranked #11,287 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1980 (20 births)
Eran as a female name
- Ranked #14,443 in 1997
- 5 female births in 1997
- Peak: 1981 (9 births)
Popularity
Eran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eran from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 188 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eran 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 Eran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Erans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Eran
The name Eran has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, with roots tracing back to ancient Biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "eren," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." This name was commonly used among the Jewish communities of the Middle East and Mediterranean regions during antiquity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eran can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a son of Shuthelah, from the tribe of Ephraim. This reference dates back to around the 13th century BCE, highlighting the ancient roots of this name.
Throughout history, the name Eran has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most prominent was Eran Laor, an Israeli poet and author born in 1959. His works, which explored themes of identity, memory, and the human experience, garnered critical acclaim and contributed significantly to the literary landscape of modern Israel.
Another famous bearer of the name was Eran Zahavi, an Israeli professional football player born in 1987. Zahavi has represented the Israeli national team and played for several prestigious clubs in Europe, cementing his place as one of the most talented strikers in Israeli football history.
In the realm of science, Eran Segal, an Israeli computational biologist and professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, has made notable contributions to the field of genomics and personalized medicine. Born in 1981, his groundbreaking research has shed light on the intricate relationships between our genes, diet, and health.
Moving to the arts, Eran Kolirin, an Israeli film director and screenwriter born in 1973, has received international recognition for his thought-provoking and critically acclaimed films. His debut feature, "The Band's Visit," won numerous awards and was praised for its unique storytelling and exploration of cultural differences.
While these are just a few examples, the name Eran has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, each leaving their mark on their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human endeavor.
People
Eran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eran 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
Eran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 664 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eran 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 516,196 US residents.
Is Eran a common name?
We classify Eran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 696 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eran most popular?
The single biggest year for Eran was 1981, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eran is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Eran a male name?
Yes, 87.5% of people registered as Eran 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.
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.