Given name & surname
Erle
“a nobleman”·“the son of a nobleman”
Erle is a variant of Earl. One English interpretation is “a nobleman.” In Norwegian use, Erle is a feminine form of Erling. One English interpretation is “the son of a nobleman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Erle is a variant of Earl. One English interpretation is “a nobleman.” In Norwegian use, Erle is a feminine form of Erling. One English interpretation is “the son of a nobleman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Erle is a variant of Earl. Earl has been associated with English and Old English naming traditions. In Norwegian use, Erle is a feminine form of Erling. An origin associated with Erling is English.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Erle is used as a spelling variant of Earl.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Erle through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 855
- 855 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 28 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1981. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 28 in 1917. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 424 as a first name in 2020; 235 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Erle’s family of names
In Norwegian usage, Erle is a feminine form of Erling. Erle has an alternative spelling in Earl. Erle has a related form in Earl.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Erle has relatives in 3 languages.
8 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Erle
- Erle Stanley GardnerAmerican writer and lawyer (1889–1970)
- Erle C. Kentonfilm director (1896-1980)
- Erle P. HalliburtonAmerican businessman (1892-1957)
- Erle CoxAustralian writer (1873–1950)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Erle, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Merle
“resembling a blackbird”
98% boys · 2% girls
Einer
“a leading warrior”
>99% boys
Odie
“a sweet melody” · “one who is wealthy”
>99% boys
Orville
“from the gold town”
>99% boys
Osborne
“a bear of God”
>99% boys
Emile
“one who is eager; an industrious man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Elroy
“a red-haired young man” · “a king”
>99% boys
Hale
“from the hall of light; a heroine” · “from the hall; a hero”
>99% boys