Name of the Week

A sleek modern name with ancient ties
to Ireland.

 

Origin:

Erin is an anglicised form of Éirinn, dative form of Éire, the Irish name for Ireland. Éirinn became the poetic name for Ireland in the 18th century as well as the common form in Scotland and some Irish dialects.  Éire itself derives from Ériu, the name of an Irish goddess. She and her sisters, Banba and Fódla, were part of an important ancient triumvirate of goddesses. Legend has it that the three competed for the honour of being Ireland's namesake, and Ériu won. Banba and Fódla, however, are still used as alternate poetic names.  Ériu most likely derives from the Old Irish íriu which is thought to derive from the Proto-Celtic *f–weryon­ "earth, soil" or *piHwer­/n­ "fat, fruitful, abundant."

Usage:

As a given name, Erin dates from the 19th century and was used as a unisex name. On the 1881 UK census, for example, 14 males and 8 females are listed with the first name Erin. Intriguingly, Erin was not adopted in Ireland itself until the latter half of the 20th century. Births for Erin (both sexes) in England and Wales demonstrates how uncommon it was initially: 1840s: 0 births 1850s: 6 births 1860s: 5 births 1870s: 1 birth 1880s: 4 births 1890s: 11 births 1900s: 5 births 1910s: 8 births 1920s: 6 births 1930s: 6 births 1940s: 3 births 1950s: 22 births 1960s: 34 births 1970s: 30 births The 1950s was the point when Erin began to increase in usage -- both in Britain and internationally -- and, though it was still used for boys, it became more common for girls.  In America, Erin caught on much soon than other English-speaking countries, ranking #275 in 1957 (for girls), and hitting the top 100 at #93 in 1971 (#455 for boys). It caught on, most likely thanks to Irish-descent parents looking for a name which honoured their heritage. It is worth noting that many of the 1950s births in England and Wales for children named Erin have a parent with a common Irish surname, so quite likely British parents had the same inspiration.  click to enlarge Erin gradually increased in usage in Britain through the 1980s, reaching the top 100 of Scotland in 1988 (#99) and the top 100 of England and Wales in 1996 (#100).  In England and Wales, Erin moved swiftly up the top 100, peaking at #28 (1985 births) in 2006. It has since been gradually declining, currently sitting at #40 (1328 births) in 2013.  Erin also has consistently ranked for boys since 1996 with an average birth count of 6-7 births. It peaked in 2005 at #1534 with 12 births. In 2013 it ranked #4685 with 3 births. In Scotland, Erin has seen even more success in the last two decades (though Erin, less so). Impressively, it was in the Scottish top 10 for a decade, from 1999 to 2009, peaking at #3 in 2006. It has steadily fallen to its current rank of #31 (154 births) in 2014.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Erin Moran (b.1960), American actress. * Erin Boag (b. 1975), New Zealand ballroom dancer. * Erin O'Connor (b. 1978), British model. * Erin Heatherton (b. 1989), American fashion model and actress. Other: * HMS Erin, a battleship of the Royal Navy. * Port Erin, a town in the Isle of Man.

Variants:

Eryn, Erinn, Aeryn

Pronunciation:

EH-rin   [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Ren

Sibling Names:

Maisie     Holly     Megan     Amber     Brooke     Isla  Ryan     Nathan    Callum     Dylan     Connor     Aiden

Name Lists:

Cosy Celtic   Short and Sweet

 

If you like Erin you may also like:   Skye, Freya, Seren, Eden, Robyn, Niamh, Cerys, Aoife, Siân, Caitlin

 

Thanks to Erin for requesting this post.