Erilyn
A feminine name meaning "beautiful bird" or "beautiful shining one".
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the first name Erilyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Erilyn today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Erilyn births was 2009 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Erilyn. 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
167
~ 1 in 2,052,421 Americans
Peak year
2009
14 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,374
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Erilyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Erilyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 89 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Erilyn 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 Erilyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Erilyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Erilyn
The name Erilyn is a relatively modern invention, originating in the late 20th century. It is believed to have been created as a combination of the names Erin and Lynn, both of which have distinct origins.
Erin is an anglicized form of the Irish name Éirinn, which is the name of the island of Ireland itself. The name Éirinn is derived from the old Irish word "Ériu," which means "abundant land" or "green land." The name has been in use for centuries, with references to it appearing in ancient Irish mythology and folklore.
Lynn, on the other hand, is an English name that can be traced back to several different sources. It may have originated from the Old English word "linn," meaning a pool or a waterfall. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Welsh name "Llin," which means "lake" or "pond." Some sources also suggest that Lynn may be a shortened form of the name Linden, which refers to the linden tree.
While the name Erilyn itself does not have a long historical record, it has become increasingly popular in recent decades, particularly in the United States and other English-speaking countries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Erilyn can be found in the records of the Social Security Administration in the United States, where it first appeared in the late 1960s.
Among the notable individuals who have borne the name Erilyn throughout history are Erilyn Bixby (born 1971), an American artist and illustrator known for her children's books. Erilyn Deming (born 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles. Erilyn Renfree (born 1989) is a Canadian professional soccer player who has played for the national team.
Additionally, Erilyn Burton (born 1965) is a British author and journalist, while Erilyn Darlington (born 1979) is an Australian actress and television personality.
Although the name Erilyn is a relatively recent creation, it has gained popularity and recognition in various parts of the world, particularly among English-speaking communities. Its unique blend of Irish and English elements has contributed to its appeal and distinctiveness.
People
Erilyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Erilyn 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
Erilyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Erilyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 167 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Erilyn 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 2,052,421 US residents.
Is Erilyn a common name?
We classify Erilyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 169 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Erilyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Erilyn was 2009, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Erilyn is about 13 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 Erilyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Erilyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Erilyn in the SSA data are female. 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 Erilyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Erilyn 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 Erilyn 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 named Erilyn?
Want to know how many Americans are named Erilyn? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.