Origin uncertain. It may be derived from the place name
Erie, the name of one of the Great Lakes and various counties
and townships on its southern shores. The etymology is from the name
of an American Indian people who lived there before the arrival of
Europeans, and indeed the surname may denote a member of this people.
Their name is said to mean ‘cat’ or ‘cat people’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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