| Eric | Odin | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | ever-ruler | Frenzy, inspiration |
| Origin | norse | Norse |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EH-rik | OH-din |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1884 |
| Peak year | 1970 (23,571) | 2022 (1,023) |
| In 2025 | 1,256 | 604 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eric | Odin |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 9,477 | 5,176 |
| 2010s | 31,550 | 6,435 |
| 2000s | 69,480 | 1,209 |
| 1990s | 135,244 | 118 |
| 1980s | 204,230 | 67 |
| 1970s | 211,481 | 66 |
| 1960s | 152,222 | 18 |
| 1950s | 53,295 | 0 |
| 1940s | 15,190 | 11 |
| 1930s | 2,796 | 12 |
| 1920s | 2,027 | 66 |
| 1910s | 1,311 | 88 |
| 1900s | 262 | 10 |
| 1890s | 204 | 0 |
| 1880s | 122 | 6 |
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).
Odin is the chief Norse god; the name is linked to “frenzy,” “fury” and “inspiration.”
Eric is more popular than Odin today: about 1,256 US babies were given the name Eric in 2025, compared with 604 named Odin.
Eric means ever-ruler (norse origin), while Odin means Frenzy, inspiration (Norse origin).
In US records, Eric first appears in 1880 and Odin in 1884, so Eric has the longer recorded history.