| Eric | Erik | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | ever-ruler | Eternal ruler |
| Origin | norse | Norse |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EH-rik | EH-rik |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1911 |
| Peak year | 1970 (23,571) | 1980 (4,918) |
| In 2025 | 1,256 | 549 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eric | Erik |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 9,477 | 3,996 |
| 2010s | 31,550 | 10,506 |
| 2000s | 69,480 | 22,408 |
| 1990s | 135,244 | 33,605 |
| 1980s | 204,230 | 36,350 |
| 1970s | 211,481 | 32,094 |
| 1960s | 152,222 | 14,770 |
| 1950s | 53,295 | 2,450 |
| 1940s | 15,190 | 857 |
| 1930s | 2,796 | 232 |
| 1920s | 2,027 | 141 |
| 1910s | 1,311 | 52 |
| 1900s | 262 | 0 |
| 1890s | 204 | 0 |
| 1880s | 122 | 0 |
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).
Erik joins the Old Norse for “ever” or “alone” with “ruler,” “eternal ruler.”
Eric is more popular than Erik today: about 1,256 US babies were given the name Eric in 2025, compared with 549 named Erik.
Eric means ever-ruler (norse origin), while Erik means Eternal ruler (Norse origin).
In US records, Eric first appears in 1880 and Erik in 1911, so Eric has the longer recorded history.