Boys' name · since 1908
Erling
Since 1908, U.S. Social Security records show 1,402 babies named Erling, peaking in 2023. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,148 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,263 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,402
- born since 1908
- 1920s
- peak decade
1,402 babies have been named Erling since 1908, making it today's #4263 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Erling has been recorded 1,402 times among boys since 1908, currently ranked #4263 nationally and more common than 69% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #4,148 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,263 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,402 born since 1908
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Erling ranks #4,148 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,263 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,402 born since 1908, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,148 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,263 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,402
- born since 1908
- 1920s
- peak decade
Erling's 1,402 recorded births place it above 90.87% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Minnesota.
How Erling compares
1,402 Top 27% higher than 73% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Erling's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Erling | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,402 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 54 | 34 | 22,252 |
Erling's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Erling's full recorded timeline at 1942, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1908, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 54 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Erling popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 54
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Erling by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (365 births, 26% of the file).
1920s was Erling's strongest decade.
365 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Erling births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
330 births
- 1920s
1920s
365 births
- 1930s
1930s
227 births
- 1940s
1940s
153 births
- 1950s 89
1950s
89 births
- 1960s 56
1960s
56 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s
2020s
167 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 365 births (26% of all-time use).
How Erling compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Erling's total volume
Erling by state
Where Erling concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 251 | 17.9% |
| #2 | North Dakota | | 135 | 9.6% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 67 | 4.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 27 | 1.9% |
| #5 | Washington | | 15 | 1.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Texas | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #8 | California | | 5 | 0.4% |
251 of 1,402 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Erling appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Erling? ▼
Where does Erling sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Erling most popular? ▼
Where is Erling most popular? ▼
How long has the name Erling been used? ▼
What names are similar to Erling? ▼
What to do with Erling's data
- Erling's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (365 total births) through the 2020s (167) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Minnesota records the most Erlings (251 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Erling
Nearby Names Like Erling
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Erling
Compare Erling side by side: Erling vs Erle Erling vs Erland Erling vs Erlin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Erling
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Erling: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~117 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Erling 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 August 2026.