boy's name
Erik
AIR-ik
- Origin Scandinavian
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 168,678
the United States
#545
2025 births
Erik is a boy's name meaning ever-ruler or sole ruler, from Old Norse. It ranks 408th in both Scotland and England and Wales — the same position in two markets, and one of two exact ties in this group.
- Erik is a name of Scandinavian origin.
- Peaked in 1980, when 4,959 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,039 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1911.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Erik over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 52 |
| 1920s | 141 |
| 1930s | 232 |
| 1940s | 857 |
| 1950s | 2,450 |
| 1960s | 14,842 |
| 1970s | 32,268 |
| 1980s | 36,612 |
| 1990s | 33,721 |
| 2000s | 22,449 |
| 2010s | 10,506 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,996 |
What Erik means
Erik means ever-ruler, or sole ruler. The Old Norse first element is read either as ever, giving eternal rule, or as one, giving sole rule, and the sources are divided.
Where Erik comes from
Erik is the Old Norse Eiríkr — ríkr, a ruler, joined to a first element read either as ei, ever, or as ein, one. Eleven kings of Sweden and Denmark carried it. Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for killing a man and founded the Greenland colony, giving it a deliberately attractive name to draw settlers; his son Leif reached North America around the year 1000. The C-spelling Eric is the English form and the K-spelling the Scandinavian, and both are in wide use across every market we track.
Erik in use
Erik peaked in the United States in 1980, when 4,959 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It ranks 408th in both Scotland on 8 births and England and Wales on 99 — an exact tie — then 424th in Northern Ireland, 478th in Ireland, 545th in the United States on 549 and 1559th in France, across 168,678 lifetime births in all seven markets we track.
How popular is Erik?
In 2025, Erik was given to 549 babies in the United States, ranking #545 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Erik 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 Erik is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Érik | Érik is a rare spelling of Erik, written with an acute accent and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
Names that peaked alongside Erik
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Erik also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Erik over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Erik
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.
Erik 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 Erik
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Erik — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Erik
What does the name Erik mean?
Ever-ruler or sole ruler — the Old Norse ríkr, a ruler, with a disputed first element.
Is it Erik or Eric?
Erik is the Scandinavian spelling and Eric the English. Both are widely used everywhere we track.
Who was Erik the Red?
The exile who founded the Greenland colony and named it attractively to draw settlers.
Where is Erik used?
All six markets we track, tied at 408th in both Scotland and England and Wales.
How popular is the name Erik?
In 2025, Erik was given to 549 babies in the United States, ranking #545 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Erik a girl's or a boy's name?
Erik is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Erik?
Erik has 2 syllables.
When was Erik most popular?
Erik peaked in 1980, when 4,959 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Erik?
Erik is usually shortened to Rik.
Is Erik a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Erik currently ranks #408 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.