Total births
316,575
Girls' name · since 1888
Erin
Since 1888, U.S. Social Security records show 316,575 babies named Erin, peaking in 1983. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #798
- among girls today
- 316,575
- born since 1888
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Erin currently ranks #798 among girls' names in America, with 316,575 babies recorded since 1888.
Erin has 316,575 recorded births among girls since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #798 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of girls, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #798 among girls today
- 316,575 born since 1888
- 1980s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Erin is currently the #798 girls' name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 316,575 born since 1888, peaking in the 1980s.
- #798
- among girls today
- 316,575
- born since 1888
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Erin vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#798
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Erin was born in this single decade.
1983
Single peak year
14,836 babies were named Erin in 1983 - its busiest year on record.
How Erin compares
316,575 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Erin's all-time total is 829x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Erin | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 316,575 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 14,836 | 48 | 19,840 |
Erin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Erin splits its recorded history at 1959: 99% of all births land in the more recent half, 1% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1888 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1983 peak of 14,836 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Erin at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1983
Current rank
#798
Active since
1888
Erin popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1983)
- 14,836
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Erin popularity over time - boys
9,478 total births recorded since 1915 (Erin as boys' name)
Erin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Erin's strongest decade.
115,811 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Erin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11
1880s
11 births
- 1890s 52
1890s
52 births
- 1900s 80
1900s
80 births
- 1910s 209
1910s
209 births
- 1920s 183
1920s
183 births
- 1930s 198
1930s
198 births
- 1940s 536
1940s
536 births
- 1950s 4,382
1950s
4,382 births
- 1960s 15,570
1960s
15,570 births
- 1970s
1970s
67,888 births
- 1980s
1980s
115,811 births
- 1990s
1990s
65,335 births
- 2000s 33,370
2000s
33,370 births
- 2010s 10,285
2010s
10,285 births
- 2020s 2,665
2020s
2,665 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 115,811 births (37% of all-time use).
How Erin compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Erin's total volume
Erin vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Erin by state
Where Erin concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 31,564 | 10.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 21,603 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 18,658 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 17,547 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 16,681 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 16,420 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 13,444 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 11,886 | 3.8% |
California share of Erin's total US births 10.0%
Even split
31,564 of 316,575 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Erin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Erin? ▼
Erin has been given to 316,575 babies in the U.S. since 1888, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #798 as of the latest data. 14,836 babies were born in 1983, its single highest year.
When was Erin most popular? ▼
Erin was most popular in the 1980s decade with 115,811 total births. The single peak year was 1983.
Where is Erin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Erin are California (31,564 births), New York (21,603 births), Pennsylvania (18,658 births).
How long has the name Erin been used? ▼
Erin has been recorded in Social Security data since 1888, spanning 138 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Erin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Erica, Erika, Ericka, Eric, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Erin's data
- Erin's decade-level peak was the 1980s (115,811 total births); usage has since declined to 2,665 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Erins (31,564 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Erin
Nearby Names Like Erin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Erin
Erica Girl
#1494 231,613 births
Erika Girl
#1142 125,664 births
Ericka Girl
#3911 23,420 births
Eric Girl
4,293 births
Erinn Girl
3,418 births
Compare Erin side by side: Erin vs Erica Erin vs Erika Erin vs Ericka
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Erin
Adele #797
42,362 births · Peak 1918
Robin #799
291,961 births · Peak 1961
Zaylee #796
5,450 births · Peak 2018
Brynleigh #800
4,107 births · Peak 2022
Yaretzi #795
13,609 births · Peak 2012
Pearl #801
159,088 births · Peak 1918
Yareli #794
10,702 births · Peak 2009
Keyla #802
9,881 births · Peak 2016
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Erin: #798 Girls' Name - 316,575 Births, Peak 1983." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/erin. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Erin draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.