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Erin is a Hiberno-English word for Ireland originating from the Irish word ''"Éirinn"''. "Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland, "Éire", genitive "Éireann", the dative being used in prepositional phrases such as ''"go hÉirinn"'' "to Ireland", ''"in Éirinn"'' "in Ireland", ''"ó Éirinn''" "from Ireland".

The dative has replaced the nominative in a few regional Irish dialects (particularly Galway-Connemara and Waterford). Poets and nineteenth-century Irish nationalists used ''Erin'' in English as a romantic name for Ireland. Often, "Erin's Isle" was used. In this context, along with Hibernia, Erin is the name given to the female personification of Ireland, but the name was rarely used as a given name, probably because no saints, queens, or literary figures were ever called Erin.

According to Irish mythology and folklore, the name was originally given to the island by the Milesians after the goddess '' Ériu''.

The phrase Erin go bragh ("Éire go brách" in standard orthography, dative "in Éirinn go brách" "in Ireland forever"), a slogan associated with the United Irishmen Rebellion of 1798, is often translated as "Ireland forever".

Usage as a given or family name

As a given name, Erin is used for both sexes, although, given its origins, it is principally used as a feminine forename. It first became a popular given name in the United States. Its US popularity for males peaked in 1974 with 321 boys registered with the name. ''Erin'' is also a name for Ireland in Welsh, and is one of the 20 most popular girls' names in Wales.

As a family name, Erin has been used as one of the many spellings of the name of the Scottish clan "Irwin"—which was involved in the Scottish Plantations of Ireland. However, that name was originally derived from the place of the same name near Dumfries, and means "green water", from Brittonic ''ir afon''.Behind the Name: Search Results
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People

Females

* Erin Andrews (born 1978), American sports reporter
* Erin Anttila (born 1977), Irish-Finnish singer, better known by her mononym Erin
* Erin Babcock (1981–2020), Canadian politician
* Erin Bell (born 1987), Australian former netball player
* Erin Bethea (born 1982), American actress
* Erin Boag (born 1975), New Zealand ballroom dancer
* Erin Brockovich (born 1960), American legal clerk and environmental activist and subject of the movie of the same name
* Erin Burnett (born 1976), American news anchor and reporter
* Erin Calipari American pharmacologist
* Erin Davis Canadian Broadcaster and author
* Grey DeLisle (born 1973), American voice actress and recording artist, real name Erin Grey van Oosbree
* Erin Fitzgerald (born 1972) Canadian-American voice actress
* Erin Gray (born 1950), American actress
* Erin Gruwell (born 1969), American teacher
* Erin Heatherton (born 1989), American fashion model
* Erin Hunter, pseudonym used by the authors of the ''Warriors'' and ''Seekers'' series
* Erin Kelly (born 1981), American actress
* Erin McKean (born 1971), American lexicographer
* Erin Moran (1960–2017), American actress
* Erin Moriarty (born 1994), American actress
* Erin Morgenstern (born 1978), American writer
* Erin O'Connor (born 1978), British model
* Erin Phillips (born 1985), Australian former basketball player and Australian rules footballer
* Erin Pizzey (born 1939), author and founder of the first domestic violence shelter in the modern world
* Erin Richards (born 1986), Welsh actress
* Erin Sanders (born 1991), American actress
* Erinn Smart (born 1980), American fencer
* Erin Spanevello (1987–2008), Canadian fashion model
* Erin Wall (1975–2020), Canadian operatic soprano

Males

* Erin Henderson (born 1986), American football linebacker
* Erin Clark (born 1997), Samoa league footballer
* Erin Weir, Canadian Member of Parliament for the riding of Regina—Lewvan
* Erin Cossey (born 1971), New Zealand Maori rugby union player
* Erin O'Toole (born 1973), Canadian politician
* Erin Pinheiro (born 1997), Cape Verdean footballer

Fiction

* Dr. Erin Mears, a character who is an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" from the film, "Contagion (2011 film)", played by "Kate Winslet"
* Erin, a character in 1986 American fantasy drama film ''The Boy Who Could Fly''
* Erin, a character in ''The Simpsons'' episode " Summer of 4 Ft. 2", voiced by Christina Ricci
* Erin, protagonist of Nahoko Uehashi's light novel, manga, and anime series 獣の奏者エリン ('' Kemono no Sōja Erin'')
* Erin Driscoll, a character in U.S. thriller ''24''
* Erin Esurance, formerly the Esurance mascot
* Erin Hannon, a character in U.S. sitcom ''The Office''
* Erin Noble, a character in British television series ''Young Dracula''
* Erin Quinn, protagonist of Northern Irish sitcom ''Derry Girls''
* Erin Silver, a character in American television franchise ''Beverly Hills, 90210''
* Erin Strauss, the former BAU Section Chief from the U.S. drama series ''Criminal Minds''
* Erin Ulmer, a character from '' Final Destination 3''
* Erin Walton, a character from '' The Waltons''
* Eirin Yagokoro, a character from ''Touhou Project''

References

{{National personifications

English feminine given names
Geographic history of Ireland
Given names
Irish feminine given names
Irish mythology