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ArchivesErin as a masculine name?
Erin charted in the lower half of the SSA for men through the 60s to the 90s, and there are several male bearers. Did this name really get as popular for boys in the US as #442 (the equivalent of Erik today!), or is this due to statistical error?
masculine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124079
feminine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124080
masculine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124079
feminine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124080
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Replies
Three possibilities:
- Statistical error: I think this is unlikely; the numbers are relatively high during several years. It would be interesting to compare with other female names that were as popular with Erin during this period, to see if there was a comparable "mistake" in recording girls as boys.
- Erin as a variant spelling of Aaron: Likely, especially in areas where the names are pronounced the same, and considering how popular Aaron was during this period.
- Erin being perceived as unisex: Possible, considering that Erin is a relatively modern name in the US. Would not be surprised if some parents (especially Irish Americans) would use it for sons before the name was established as primarily female. It's also similar in sound to names like Eric, Erwin, Darren/Derrin, etc. Shannon is a name with a similar trajectory.
- Statistical error: I think this is unlikely; the numbers are relatively high during several years. It would be interesting to compare with other female names that were as popular with Erin during this period, to see if there was a comparable "mistake" in recording girls as boys.
- Erin as a variant spelling of Aaron: Likely, especially in areas where the names are pronounced the same, and considering how popular Aaron was during this period.
- Erin being perceived as unisex: Possible, considering that Erin is a relatively modern name in the US. Would not be surprised if some parents (especially Irish Americans) would use it for sons before the name was established as primarily female. It's also similar in sound to names like Eric, Erwin, Darren/Derrin, etc. Shannon is a name with a similar trajectory.
This message was edited 5/29/2022, 2:35 AM
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I don't think it was an error. In a large part of the US, Erin is indeed pronounced the same as Aaron. There are areas where the two are distinguished, mainly in the Northeast (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania), but in most of the country, Erin and Aaron are indistinguishable when spoken. Therefore it's not surprising that many people initially saw it as a male or unisex name, and Aaron was also popular at the time. I knew a couple of male Erins born in the 1970s and 80s.
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Possibly a variant of or a mistake for Aaron? The names sound different in my dialect, but not I think in the States.
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