Erling

Erling - A very unique male name

Erling appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #735. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Erling and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Erling? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Erling. The baby boy name Erling was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3962 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Erling peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 602.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Erling, 1-5?

Erling is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Erling is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #1,077 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #1,077.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Erling is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Erling origin and meaning

Old Norse / Scandinavian

Descendant of a chief — from Old Norse Erlingr, 'son/descendant of a jarl (chief)'

Erling is an old Scandinavian name from Erlingr, built on jarl, 'chief, earl'. It has a thin US history from 1912, peaking in 1917 with Norwegian immigration — and a famous current bearer in footballer Erling Haaland.

Attested etymology

Erling is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Erling, pop culture references for the name Erling and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Erling

We've found the following names that sound similar to Erling, sorted by popularity.

Erlin / Erlon / Erland / Earland /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Erling

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Erling a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Erling?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

ER-ling · /ˈɜːrlɪŋ/
In Norwegian the first syllable is closer to AHR-ling; US use anglicises it.

Around the world

• Erling (Norwegian) — Standard Norwegian form.
• Erling (Danish) — Standard Danish form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Erlend — Related Norwegian name; a separate established name.

Famous bearers

• Erling Haaland — Norwegian footballer, prolific striker for Manchester City and Norway (b. 2000) Contemporary

Style

InternationalVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Erling now almost entirely for Haaland — a heritage Scandinavian name with a superstar attached.

Worth knowing

• Haaland is a dominant, current association that will date the choice to his era.
• English speakers may hear 'early-ing' or confuse it with Earl.