| Bjorn | Eric | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bear | ever-ruler |
| Origin | Norse | norse |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BYORN | EH-rik |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1925 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2024 (331) | 1970 (23,571) |
| In 2025 | 298 | 1,256 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bjorn | Eric |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,895 | 9,477 |
| 2010s | 1,229 | 31,550 |
| 2000s | 550 | 69,480 |
| 1990s | 403 | 135,244 |
| 1980s | 598 | 204,230 |
| 1970s | 397 | 211,481 |
| 1960s | 145 | 152,222 |
| 1950s | 28 | 53,295 |
| 1940s | 5 | 15,190 |
| 1930s | 0 | 2,796 |
| 1920s | 5 | 2,027 |
| 1910s | 0 | 1,311 |
| 1900s | 0 | 262 |
| 1890s | 0 | 204 |
| 1880s | 0 | 122 |
Bjorn means “bear” in Old Norse, a symbol of strength.
From Old Norse 'Eirikr', usually read as 'ei' ('ever, always') + 'rikr' ('ruler'), giving 'ever-ruler' or 'sole ruler'. Note: 'ruler/powerful', not literally 'king' — the second element is the Germanic 'ric' (ruler/power).
Eric is more popular than Bjorn today: about 1,256 US babies were given the name Eric in 2025, compared with 298 named Bjorn.
Bjorn means Bear (Norse origin), while Eric means ever-ruler (norse origin).
In US records, Bjorn first appears in 1925 and Eric in 1880, so Eric has the longer recorded history.