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Home › Baby Names Directory › Erskine

Erskine

♂ Boy

Pronounced URS-kin /ˈɜr.skɪn/Medium

Meaning: Erskine is a Scottish surname taken from a place near Glasgow; its meaning is debated, commonly given as 'high cliff' or 'green ascent' from old Brittonic/Gaelic elements. As a first name it honors that Scots heritage and was carried by writers such as Erskine Caldwell.Low

In 30 seconds: Erskine is a Scottish place-and-surname name, often read as 'high cliff', said URS-kin, a dignified name borne by author Erskine Caldwell.
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Origin LowScottish
MeaningErskine is a Scottish surname taken from a place near Glasgow; its meaning is debated, commonly given as 'high cliff' or 'green ascent' from old Brittonic/Gaelic elements. As a first name it honors that Scots heritage and was carried by writers such as Erskine Caldwell.
U.S. rank (2011)#12876 ↗ Rising
2011 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1947
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,996

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 194718982011

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Erskine comes from a place near Glasgow that became a Scottish surname; scholars debate its roots, offering readings like 'high cliff' or 'green ascent.' Brought to America, it followed the pattern of Scots surnames adopted as first names, carrying an air of heritage and reserve.

As a given name Erskine ran from the late nineteenth century into the twenty-first, cresting around the nineteen-forties and staying rare at only a few dozen boys in its best year. The writer Erskine Caldwell kept it in the public ear for a generation.

Did you know? Erskine's mid-century visibility owes much to the American novelist Erskine Caldwell, whose Depression-era books were widely read and hotly debated.
Overall data confidence 50%
SSA national given-name data — arc 1898-2011, peak 1947Scottish place/surname notes - Erskine — 'high cliff' reading

Variations

Erskin

Nicknames

ErskKin

Famous Bearers

  • ★Erskine Caldwell (1903-1987)
    American novelist known for Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre

If you like Erskine…

Emory— a same-feeling surname-name
Sterling— another dignified surname-name
Ellsworth— shares the patrician sound
Alistair— a comparable Scots-heritage name

Explore names like Erskine

By themevintagesurname-namescottish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Erskine mean?

Erskine is a Scottish surname and place name, commonly explained as 'high cliff' or 'green ascent.'

How do you pronounce Erskine?

It's said URS-kin /ˈɜr.skɪn/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Erskine a boy or girl name?

Erskine is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Erskine?

Erskine was always rare, given to only a few dozen boys a year around its mid-twentieth-century peak.

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