Find out how popular the last name Erin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Erin.

Erin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Erin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erin in America

Erin is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erin surname appeared 210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Erin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Erin

The surname Erin has its origins in Ireland, originating in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Éirinn," which means "Ireland." This name is closely connected to the ancient Celtic goddess Ériu, who was a matron deity and personification of Ireland itself.

In its earliest form, the surname was spelled as "Eryn" or "Eryne," reflecting the Gaelic pronunciation. It was commonly found in various parts of Ireland, particularly in the provinces of Ulster and Connacht, where it was used as a descriptive surname for those who hailed from or were associated with the island.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Erin can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions an individual named "Gilla Críst Ua hEryn" in the year 1180. This entry suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name Erin was often associated with prominent Irish families and individuals. One notable example is Domnall Erin, a 14th-century Irish chieftain and lord of Leinster, who played a significant role in the Irish campaigns against the Anglo-Norman invasion.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Erin was John Erin (c. 1420 - c. 1480), an Irish scholar and poet from County Kilkenny. He was renowned for his works in both Irish and Latin, and his poems were widely circulated during his lifetime.

In the 16th century, the surname Erin appeared in various legal documents and records, such as the Fiants of the Tudor monarchy in Ireland. One such record from 1587 mentions a land grant to "William Erin of Killmacrenan, County Donegal."

The 17th century saw the emergence of notable figures like Terence Erin (1618 - 1678), an Irish Franciscan friar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of moral theology.

As time passed, the surname Erin underwent various spelling variations, including Errin, Eryen, and Eryne, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. However, the modern spelling of "Erin" became more standardized in the 19th century.

Throughout history, the surname Erin has been carried by many individuals who left their mark in various fields, such as literature, politics, and academia. For example, John Erin (1818 - 1892) was an Irish journalist and author who wrote extensively on Irish history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Erin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Erin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Erin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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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