Given name & surname
Errol
“a nobleman”·“a wanderer”
In English use, Errol has a related form in Earl. One English interpretation is “a nobleman.” Errol is a variant of Erroll. One English interpretation is “a wanderer.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Errol has a related form in Earl. One English interpretation is “a nobleman.” Errol is a variant of Erroll. One English interpretation is “a wanderer.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Scottish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1896. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Errol through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,631
- 8,631 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1941
- 272 babies
- 2025
- 17
- #5,454 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −43%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 17 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,454 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 42.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 272 in 1941. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,033 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Errol’s family of names
In English usage, Errol has a related form in Earl. Errol has a related form in Erroll.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Errol
- Errol FlynnAustralian actor (1909–1959)
- Errol MorrisAmerican filmmaker and writer (born 1948)
- Errol BarrowBarbadian politician (1920-1987)
- Errol Spence Jr.American boxerborn 1990
- Errol BrownBritish singer and songwriter (1948–2015)1943–2015
- Errol MuskSouth African businessman (born 1946) of Dutch-British descent
- Errol CharlesSaint Lucian politicianborn 1941
- Errol KerrAmerican-Jamaican ski cross racer, 2010 Olympian and excavation foremanborn 1986
- Errol ZimmermanDutch martial artistborn 1986
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Errol, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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