Eric

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Eric is a male given name with many spellings, including Eric, Erich, Erik, Erick, Eirik, and Eiríkur. It comes from the Old Norse name Eiríkr, meaning “sole ruler” or “eternal ruler.” The name spread through northern Europe with Scandinavian settlers and became common in England in the Middle Ages.

Its popularity grew especially in the 19th century, helped by the novel Eric, or Little by Little (1858). The standard form in Scandinavia is Erik; in Norway another common form is Eirik, and in Iceland it is Eiríkur. Other languages have variants such as Éric in French, Erico in Italian, Érico in Portuguese, and Eryk in Polish. In old writings you may see the Latin Euricus or Erīcus, and in other languages you’ll find forms like Ēriks or Erikas.

In Sweden, Norway, and Finland, the name day for Erik and Eirik is May 18, in honor of Saint Eric IX, a Swedish king. The feminine forms are Erica or Erika. Eric remains one of the most common Germanic names in the United States.