boy's name
Eric
EH-rik
- Origin Norse
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 1,247,745
the United States
#273
2025 births
Eric is a boy's name of Old Norse origin meaning "eternal ruler" or "sole ruler." It comes from Eiríkr, and the first element is disputed — ei, ever, or einn, one — giving two quite different claims.
- Eric is a name of Norse origin.
- Peaked in 1970, when 23,719 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,640 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Eric over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 122 |
| 1890s | 204 |
| 1900s | 262 |
| 1910s | 1,311 |
| 1920s | 2,027 |
| 1930s | 2,796 |
| 1940s | 15,212 |
| 1950s | 53,444 |
| 1960s | 152,878 |
| 1970s | 212,825 |
| 1980s | 205,707 |
| 1990s | 135,708 |
| 2000s | 69,629 |
| 2010s | 31,582 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 9,477 |
What Eric means
Eric means either ruler forever or ruler alone. The second element, ríkr, is securely ruler; the first is argued between ei, eternal, and einn, sole, and the name means something rather different depending on which is right.
Where Eric comes from
Eric descends from the Old Norse Eiríkr, from ríkr, ruler or mighty, with a disputed first element — ei, ever or eternal, or einn, one or alone. Both readings appear in serious scholarship. The name was carried by Viking settlement into England and by Erik the Red to Greenland, whose son Leif Erikson reached North America around 1000. It has been the name of fourteen Swedish kings. Erik is the Scandinavian spelling and Erick a modern American variant.
Eric in use
Our data shows Eric falling, peaking in 1970, at 169 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. Its 1970 peak places it alongside Jason, Brian and Kevin — the same cohort our Jason entry identifies as dominating the 1970s.
How popular is Eric?
In 2025, Eric was given to 1,256 babies in the United States, ranking #273 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Eric is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Eric is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Éric | Éric is a rare spelling of Eric, written with an acute accent and recorded about 2,820 times, mostly in France. | 2,820 |
Names that peaked alongside Eric
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Eric also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Eric over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Eric
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Eric in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Eric
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Eric — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Eric
What does the name Eric mean?
Either "eternal ruler" or "sole ruler" — the second element is securely ruler, the first is disputed.
Is Eric a Viking name?
Yes. Erik the Red settled Greenland, and his son Leif Erikson reached North America around 1000.
What is the difference between Eric and Erik?
Only spelling. Erik is the Scandinavian form; Eric is the English one.
How popular is the name Eric?
In 2025, Eric was given to 1,256 babies in the United States, ranking #273 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Eric a girl's or a boy's name?
Eric is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Eric?
Eric has 2 syllables.
When was Eric most popular?
Eric peaked in 1970, when 23,719 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Eric?
Eric is usually shortened to Rick and Ricky.
Is Eric a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Eric currently ranks #169 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.