Erin first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Erin has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Erin

A Celtic name derived from the Irish word "Éireamhón" meaning "peace" or "prosperous".

Popularity of Erin by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Erin is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 98% of people named Erin being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 445 female babies and 33 male babies born with the name Erin.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 33 baby boys were named Erin in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 33 445
2022 25 425
2021 37 525
2020 41 581
2019 34 649
2018 37 742
2017 53 777
2016 41 925
2015 59 972
2014 51 1,022
2013 46 1,167
2012 62 1,235
2011 54 1,351
2010 57 1,441
2009 67 1,694
2008 66 2,064
2007 71 2,476
2006 73 2,643
2005 69 2,907
2004 89 3,367
2003 88 3,926
2002 97 4,143
2001 108 4,958
2000 98 5,184
1999 121 5,223
1998 114 5,471
1997 125 5,939
1996 143 6,255
1995 211 6,564
1994 169 6,908
1993 168 6,717
1992 172 7,058
1991 174 7,207
1990 238 7,990
1989 233 8,141
1988 203 8,266
1987 192 8,847
1986 201 10,069
1985 215 11,384
1984 192 12,622
1983 214 14,838
1982 246 14,363
1981 242 13,854
1980 265 13,430
1979 265 11,257
1978 259 10,788
1977 249 10,198
1976 295 8,384
1975 319 6,893
1974 321 5,868

The history of the first name Erin

The name Erin is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Éirinn", which means "an abundant land" or "green land". It is the name of the island of Ireland and has been used as a given name for both males and females.

Erin has been a popular name in Ireland for centuries, and it is believed to have its roots in ancient Celtic mythology. The name is closely associated with the Irish goddess of sovereignty, Ériu, who was said to have been one of the wives of the mythical king Éber.

The earliest recorded use of the name Erin dates back to the 16th century, when it was used as a poetic name for Ireland. It became more widely used as a personal name in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly among Irish families living in the United States and other English-speaking countries.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Erin was Erin the Messenger, a 6th-century Irish monk and scribe who is believed to have been one of the first to bring Christianity to Scotland. Another early figure was Erin of Clonmacnoise, a 9th-century Irish princess and abbess who founded a monastery in County Offaly, Ireland.

In more recent history, notable individuals named Erin include Erin Brockovich (born 1960), an American legal clerk and environmental activist whose fight against Pacific Gas and Electric Company was the subject of a 2000 film starring Julia Roberts. Erin Moran (1960-2017) was an American actress best known for her role as Joanie Cunningham on the sitcom "Happy Days".

Other famous Erins include Erin Andrews (born 1978), an American sportscaster and television personality, and Erin Hunter (born 1963), the pen name of several authors who write the popular children's book series "Warriors".

In the literary world, one of the most notable Erins is Erin Morgenstern (born 1978), the American author of the bestselling novel "The Night Circus".

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Erin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Erin, please contact us.

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We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Erin first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/erin-meaning-and-history/.

"Erin first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/erin-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Erin first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/erin-meaning-and-history/.

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