Erling
Masculine · “descendant of a nobleman”
Erling is Old Norse for the son of a jarl — a nobleman's descendant, which was a real legal status rather than a compliment.
How old is the name Erling?
Erling first appears in US birth records in 1908 — 117 years ago. The typical Erling alive today was born around 1929, making them about 96 years old. About 400 people named Erling are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Erling most popular?
Erling peaked in 1913, reaching #667 nationally. Today it ranks #4249, 3,582 places below that high. See the whole 1913 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From jarl to Erling
The story of Erling
A jarl was the rank below a king in Norse society and the word gives English earl, which is the only native English title of nobility — duke, marquess, viscount and baron are all French imports. Erling was a real medieval Norwegian name and has stayed in use. It reaches American records with Norwegian emigration to the upper Midwest around 1900.
Meaning
descendant of a nobleman
From Old Norse jarl, a nobleman or earl, with the patronymic ending -ing meaning descendant of; the same suffix gives Viking, Karling and the -ing in English place names. Jarl gives English earl.
How the name formed
- jarl
- Erlingr
- Erling
Related forms: Erling · Erling · Earl
Pronouncing Erling
ER-ling
Two syllables, first stressed. Norwegian gives the same shape.
Nicknames for Erling
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1908
- Most boys named
- 192049 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #667reached in 1913
- Change vs 2024
- −44.2%24 in 2025, from 43
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Erling in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Erling in Norwegian — same name
- Erling in Danish — same name
- Earl in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: New York, Texas, California.
Erlings among us
people named Erling are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 71,170 born in 2025 was named Erling
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Erling sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Erling beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Erling in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled Norse meaning with a real legal rank behind it.
- The connection to the English word earl is genuinely interesting.
- Read correctly on sight by most English speakers.
- The -ling ending sounds diminutive in English, which it is not.
- It is entirely unfamiliar outside Scandinavian communities in America.
- Erling and Erlend are both Norwegian and get confused.
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Erling
Masculine · #4249 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Erlings are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 400 people named Erling are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Erling in 2025?
- Erling ranks #4249 among US boy names in 2025, with 24 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Erling?
- About 1 in every 71,170 US boys born in 2025 was named Erling — 24 in all.
- Will my child share the name Erling with classmates?
- Erling will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Erling
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Guadalupe#4249 · Denny#4249 · Hughes#4249 · Rodrick#4249 · Elric#4249 · Ron#4249 · Corvin#4249 · Wright#4249
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Erling? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Erling and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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