Erle
Derived from the Old English word "eorl" meaning a nobleman or warrior.
Name Census estimates that about 284 living Americans carry the first name Erle. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Erle today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Erle births was 1917 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Erle. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Erle is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Erles were born before 1964.
People living today
284
~ 1 in 1,206,881 Americans
Peak year
1917
28 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1981 SSA rank
#6,581
Tracked since 1882
Popularity
Erle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Erle from the 1880s through to the 1980s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 186 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Erle 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 Erle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Erles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Erle
The name Erle is an English masculine given name derived from the Old English word "ærle," meaning "noble" or "excellent." Its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, spanning from the 5th to the 11th century AD.
This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly among the nobility and aristocratic families of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Erle can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and estates compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Erle was Erle of Chichester, an English prelate who served as the Bishop of Chichester from 1262 to 1269. Another prominent individual was Erle of Derby, a 14th-century English nobleman who played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War against France.
In the 16th century, Erle Huntingdon (1516-1585) was a respected English mathematician and astronomer who made notable contributions to the field of navigation. His work on the calculation of longitudes at sea was groundbreaking for the time.
During the 17th century, Erle of Strafford (1593-1641) was an influential English statesman and a key advisor to King Charles I. He served as the Lord Deputy of Ireland and played a pivotal role in the events leading up to the English Civil War.
Another notable figure was Erle of Warwick (1628-1683), an English soldier and politician who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Essex and was a prominent member of the Parliament during the reign of Charles II.
While the name Erle has been less common in recent times, it has left a lasting legacy in English history and culture, reflecting the valor and nobility associated with its meaning.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Erle
People
Erle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Erle 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
Erle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Erle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 284 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Erle 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 1,206,881 US residents.
Is Erle a common name?
We classify Erle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 855 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Erle most popular?
The single biggest year for Erle was 1917, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Erle is about 72 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Erle a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Erle 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.