Why is my name Erwin?

That's the question I keep asking myself!

Germans call me Erwin all the time....

Most are unfamiliar with the name Erin (despite all the hopes I placed on the movie Erin Brockovich to spread truth and justice in this world) and they must think Erwin, a male name, is close enough. Every time I hear Erwin, I cringe a little inside. Just one pesky letter carefully placed between r and i has the power to transform me instantly into a 47 year-old man from Dresden with a moustache and a mullet - vokuhila for German insiders.

To my horror, Erin and Erwin are not as different as I thought. Both can be traced back to the Celtic root "eirin" meaning peace. But, Erwin can also be derived from the Old German words "heri" (army, warring people and warriors) and "wini" (friend). Hmmm....War AND peace. I know I've heard that before.

Well, I have decided to come to some inner "peace" and embrace my new identity as Erwin. If you can't beat them, join them! Actually, I just need a name day, there being no St. Erin. (But of course a St. Florian!).

Other random facts about Erwin:

• Famous Erwins include the head of CSU, the leading political party in Bavaria and the mascot of Schalke 04, a football team in North Rhine-Westphalia. Any resemblance to me here?
• It's a township in the Upper Peninsula, population 357, that I might have driven through on my way to a Yooper wedding from Chicago.
• It's an "American Cafe and Bar" in Windy City that I've always wanted to visit.