Erin
Erin was the 833rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 327 babies. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked 18th with 14,836 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 497 places. More babies were named Erin in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Ireland (poetic name) · Irish
Say it AIR-in /ˈɛrɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #833 girls, down 312 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 327girls
- Girls and boys
- 93% girls, 7% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198314,836 babies
- Total since 1880
- 326,053babies recorded
What does the name Erin mean?
Erin is an old poetic name for Ireland. Wiktionary explains it as an anglicization of Irish Éirinn, a case form of Éire, Ireland, and notes that Erin also personifies Ireland as a woman, in the way Britannia stands for Britain. Several North American places are named Erin in honor of Ireland. As a girls' name it has been used in the US since the 1880s and was most common around 1980.
Éirinn (Irish, “Ireland (case form of Éire)”)
How sure is this? Well established. Wiktionary only for the etymology; the 'Ireland' meaning is uncontroversial.
Related names: Eireann, Erinn, Aryn.
See also: Irish names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Erin' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Erin popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #833 | #4,587 | 327 | 22 |
| 2020 | #521 | #2,943 | 581 | 40 |
| 2010 | #216 | #2,270 | 1,441 | 57 |
| 2000 | #61 | #1,317 | 5,185 | 98 |
| 1990 | #43 | #655 | 7,989 | 238 |
| 1980 | #20 | #529 | 13,428 | 264 |
| 1970 | #111 | #498 | 3,480 | 262 |
| 1960 | #264 | #1,076 | 1,155 | 52 |
| 1950 | #1,044 | #2,136 | 77 | 13 |
| 1940 | #1,487 | #3,610 | 27 | 5 |
| 1930 | #3,138 | — | 9 | — |
| 1920 | #1,677 | #3,970 | 25 | 6 |
| 1910 | #1,673 | — | 9 | — |
| 1900 | #1,350 | — | 9 | — |
| 1890 | #960 | — | 9 | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Erin, counting every spelling?
Erin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #725 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #833 for Erin on its own. Together these spellings went to 390 girls in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Erin?
327 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Erin (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Erin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 26 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Erin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Erin?
About 303,500 people born in the US named Erin are alive today, with a median age of 41; half are between 32 and 47. That makes Erin mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Erin by state
How common Erin was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in South Carolina (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.7×), Louisiana (1.6×), Georgia (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Oregon, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Erin: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Erin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Erin · Sibling names for Erin
Questions about the name Erin
What does Erin mean?
Erin means “Ireland (poetic name)” (Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Erin?
Erin was the 833rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 327 babies. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked 18th with 14,836 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 497 places. More babies were named Erin in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Erin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 93% girls, 7% boys given the name Erin in the US.
Where is Erin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Erin was most common in South Carolina (0.49 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Louisiana.