Eric
The male given names Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur are derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr.
- English
- Swedish
- German
- Spanish
Meaning & Origin of Eric
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The male given names Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur are derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Swedish
- German
- Spanish
- French
- Catalan
The Story of Eric
American parents first put Eric on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 10 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 23,573 Erics were born — ranking #18 that year. About 24% of every Eric on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Eric ranks #266 for baby boys with 1,287 births, falling sharply (-36%). All told, over 890K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Eric
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Eric. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Eric
Phonetically similar names — useful when Eric is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Eric
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In which U.S. states is Eric most popular?
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About the name Eric
Eric is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 890K births in the dataset. Eric's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #13. Use the chart and map above to compare Eric's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.