Erwin

Erwin - A very unique male name

Erwin appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #380. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Erwin and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Erwin? 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 Erwin. The baby boy name Erwin was given to 16 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2648 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 91,643 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Erwin peaked in popularity 110 years ago in 1916 on position 222.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Erwin, 1-5?

Erwin is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Erwin is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #817 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,531.

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 Erwin is where you live.

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Erwin origin and meaning

Germanic

From Germanic elements usually read as 'army' and 'friend' (hari + wini), or 'honour' and 'friend'

Erwin is an old German name carried into America by German immigration, peaking in 1918. Its two great bearers pull in opposite directions — Schrödinger the physicist and Rommel the general — both listed, with Rommel's wartime command part of the record rather than hidden. The name has fallen for a century and is now rare.

Attested etymology

Erwin is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Erwin

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

Ernie / Erin / Eren / Eron / Ehren / Ernan / Earnie / Erron / Erion / Eran /

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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 Erwin

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 Erwin 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 Erwin?

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.

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Pronunciation

ER-win · /ˈɜːrwɪn/

Around the world

• Erwin (German) — The original German form, used as-is

Spellings and nicknames

• Irwin — The Anglicised form, a separate established name
• Ervin — A simplified spelling variant

Famous bearers

• Erwin Schrödinger — Austrian physicist who shared the 1933 Nobel Prize and devised the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment (1887–1961) Historical
• Erwin Rommel — German field marshal of the Second World War, the 'Desert Fox' of the North African campaign (1891–1944) Historical

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

A serious German classic for families honouring that heritage, at its rarest point in a century.

Worth knowing

• Rommel's Second World War association is well known and will be raised