100 Unisex Names for Boys

15 Cool Country Boy Names For Your Little Cowboy

Rock ‘n’ Roll Names: the Legends Live On!

Vampire Names Bite Back!

Top Boys Name For Each Letter: a 130-year survey

The REAL Top Baby Names of All Time!

100 Brilliant Boy Names in Translation

Names That Let You Have It Both Ways

Eric

The name Eric peaked for girls at #894 in 1970. Eric is also used for boys, ranking #251 in 2024.

The name Eric is a boy's name of Scandinavian, Norse origin meaning "eternal ruler".

Norse Names for Boys

4 Letter Boy Names

Names Ending in C for Boys

Names That Mean Ruler

Names That Mean Eternal

Two Syllable Names for Boys

Names that Peaked in 1973

Names that Peaked in 1974

Names that Peaked in 1975

Names that Peaked in 1976

Scandinavian Names

Boy Dog Names That Start With E

Dog Names That Start With E

Animal Names for Boys

Scandinavian Names for Boys

Norse Names

Scandinavian Names that Start With E

Norse Names that Start With E

Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, from the components ei, meaning "ever," and ríkr, "rule." It was adopted by English speakers in the mid-nineteenth century, who were already familiar with the exploits of the tenth century Viking navigator and discoverer of Greenland, Eric the Red. Erik is an alternate spelling and the preferred form of the name across much of Europe.
 
Eric—the all-time most popular Scandinavian <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> in the U. S.—peaked in the 70s, during the Ricky Nelson/Rick Springfield period and from the mid-sixties to the late eighties, it was on the Top 25 list. 
 Recent years have seen it decline, as alternative 'rick' names like Maverick have climbed. Nevertheless, it remains in The US Top 300, with spelling variations Erick and Erik also in the Top 500 too. When you add all these Erics together, it begins to feel like a name just outside the Top 100, similar in popularity to August, Nicholas, Myles or Dominic. 
 
Some of its best-known bearers include: Eric Clapton, Eric Idle, Eric Dane and major characters in The Little Mermaid, True Blood and Friday Night Lights, not to mention Eric Cartman on South Park. Simon Cowell named his first son Eric after his father.
 The Old-World traditional spelling Erik is currently popular in Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Iceland and Norway - and is also favored in the UK, where Eric is out of style.

Names That Mean King, Queen, Ruler or Royal

Victorian Boy Names

Vampire Baby Names

Top 2000s Baby Names

Top 1970s Baby Names

Top 1960s Baby Names 

Most Common Names for Boys

Catholic Baby Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Top 1980s Baby Names 

Top 1990s Baby Names  

Gossip Girl Names

Twilight Names

Werewolf Baby Names

Victorian Names from the 1800s

Millennial Names

Disney Cat Names

Disney Baby Names

Dog Names

Saint Names For Boys 

Traveling Lite Baby Names

Disney Dog Names

Confirmation Names for Boys (with Meanings and Definitions)

Nerdy Boy Names: Geek Chic Cool

Hipster British Boy Names

Boy Names Always in the Top 1000

Fairy Tale Baby Names

Names With Lots of Spellings

Saint Names

Boy Names Like Adam

Scandinavian

Norse

Nameberry

Future

England

Germany

Spain

switzerland

The name Eric is currently ranked #251 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #13 in 1976. The name is most popular in ERIC, ERIC, and ERIC. Eric is occasionally used for girls in 2016.

Aric

Eero

Eric

The name Eric in Nameberry Blog Posts

More Lists containing Eric

Advanced Search

Find your type.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Introducing the Nameberry App