Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2023

Erling

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,291 Trend ↑ Rising 2267%
Rank 2025
#4,291
among boys · ↓1,365 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Erling · -44% vs 2024
How common
1 in 71,170
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2023
54 babies
All-time total
1,402
#4,148 all-time among boys
First recorded
1908
in Social Security records

Erling popularity over time

1,402 babies have been named Erling since 1908, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1913Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s 5 1 – #1,446
1910s 330 33 +6500% #672
1920s 365 37 +11% #985
1930s 227 23 -38% #1,265
1940s 153 15 -33% #1,546
1950s 89 9 -42% #2,205
1960s 56 6 -37% #2,742
1970s 5 1 -91% #5,202
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s – – – –
2010s 5 1 – #12,797
2020s (to 2025) 167 28 +5467% #2,488

Where Erling is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 31 0.02 outside top 500
2027 38 0.02 outside top 500
2028 46 0.03 outside top 500
2029 54 0.03 outside top 500
2030 62 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Erling

Erling is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,291 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1908, 1,402 American babies have been named Erling. Its peak came in 2023, when 54 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Erling stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Erling?

The median living Erling is about 62 years old; half are between 2 and 77. An estimated 400 people named Erling are alive in the United States today.

median 62 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Erling year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 24 #4,291
2024 43 #2,926
2023 54 #2,488
2022 24 #4,341
2021 17 #5,406
2020 5 #12,626
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 5 #12,797
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 7 #3,337
1960 10 #2,742
1955 12 #2,338
1950 11 #2,356
1945 8 #2,626
1940 17 #1,699
1935 25 #1,370
1930 32 #1,265
1925 39 #1,128
1920 49 #985
1915 48 #895
1910 7 #1,345
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Erling

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Erling Skakke Norwegian nobleman (1115–1179) Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Erling, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Erling?

The median living Erling is about 62 years old. Half of all living Erlings are between 2 and 77 years old.

How many people named Erling are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Erling are alive in the United States, based on 1,402 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Erling in 2025?

Erling ranked #4,291 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Erling?

1,402 babies have been named Erling in the United States since 1908, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Erling most popular?

Erling peaked in 2023, when 54 newborns received the name.

Is Erling a boy or girl name?

Erling is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Erling rising or falling?

Erling is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Erling become more popular?

Erling is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 62 boys named Erling in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Erling?

Well-known people named Erling include Erling Skakke (politician).

Names like Erling

Names that sound and feel close to Erling: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Erling with similar names → More names starting with E →