Eric
Boy · ERR-ik · Old Norse
Eric is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “eternal ruler”. In 2025 it ranked 182nd for boys in the UK (316 babies) and 273rd for boys in the US (1,256 babies).
What does Eric mean?
Old Norse: from Old Norse Eiríkr
“eternal ruler”
From Old Norse Eiríkr; borne by Erik the Red, the Viking explorer who founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland.
- Say it
- ERR-ik
More on Wiktionary.
Is Eric a girl's or a boy's name?
Eric is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 316 boys in the UK and 1,256 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Eric in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #182among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 316about 1 in 950 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 27% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.5%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 316 boys in the UK were named Eric, making it the 182nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 141st. Its busiest year was 2018, with 500 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Eric than any year since 2013.
Half of all the boys named Eric in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 459 boys in the UK were given Eric or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #138, up from #182 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 168th in England and Wales, 333rd in Scotland and 270th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#35), 1914 (#27), 1924 (#18), 1934 (#27), 1944 (#39), 1954 (#62) and 1964 (#88).
Eric in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 316 | #182 |
| 2024 | 332 | #173 |
| 2023 | 382 | #159 |
| 2022 | 461 | #137 |
| 2021 | 456 | #144 |
| 2020 | 446 | #141 |
| 2019 | 471 | #137 |
| 2018 | 500 | #130 |
| 2017 | 472 | #138 |
| 2016 | 415 | #164 |
| 2015 | 369 | #178 |
| 2014 | 330 | #196 |
| 2013 | 230 | #247 |
| 2012 | 243 | #233 |
| 2011 | 205 | #257 |
| 2010 | 199 | #264 |
| 2009 | 170 | #291 |
| 2008 | 134 | #330 |
| 2007 | 159 | #278 |
| 2006 | 112 | #343 |
| 2005 | 111 | #317 |
| 2004 | 132 | #284 |
| 2003 | 95 | #326 |
| 2002 | 98 | #316 |
| 2001 | 90 | #334 |
| 2000 | 93 | #327 |
| 1999 | 83 | #349 |
| 1998 | 85 | #336 |
| 1997 | 103 | #297 |
| 1996 | 106 | #288 |
How popular is Eric in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #273among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,256about 1 in 1,400 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 36% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,256 boys in the US were named Eric, making it the 273rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 198th. Its busiest year was 1970, with 23,571 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 11 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Eric than any year since 1944.
Half of all the boys named Eric in the US since 1880 were born between 1969 and 1991, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 2,690 boys in the US were given Eric or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #151, up from #273 for this spelling alone.
Eric in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,256 | #273 |
| 2024 | 1,406 | #252 |
| 2023 | 1,547 | #227 |
| 2022 | 1,561 | #229 |
| 2021 | 1,790 | #213 |
| 2020 | 1,917 | #198 |
| 2019 | 2,205 | #176 |
| 2018 | 2,410 | #160 |
| 2017 | 2,782 | #143 |
| 2016 | 2,930 | #142 |
| 2015 | 3,046 | #138 |
| 2014 | 3,323 | #122 |
| 2013 | 3,265 | #118 |
| 2012 | 3,637 | #107 |
| 2011 | 3,751 | #104 |
| 2010 | 4,201 | #95 |
| 2009 | 4,646 | #95 |
| 2008 | 5,377 | #86 |
| 2007 | 5,959 | #83 |
| 2006 | 6,232 | #77 |
| 2005 | 6,697 | #66 |
| 2004 | 7,133 | #61 |
| 2003 | 7,787 | #56 |
| 2002 | 7,928 | #52 |
| 2001 | 8,559 | #44 |
| 2000 | 9,162 | #42 |
| 1999 | 9,382 | #39 |
| 1998 | 9,964 | #39 |
| 1997 | 10,317 | #35 |
| 1996 | 11,611 | #35 |
| 1995 | 12,485 | #32 |
| 1994 | 13,311 | #30 |
| 1993 | 14,548 | #29 |
| 1992 | 16,145 | #26 |
| 1991 | 18,051 | #25 |
| 1990 | 19,430 | #24 |
| 1989 | 18,977 | #21 |
| 1988 | 20,175 | #19 |
| 1987 | 20,203 | #21 |
| 1986 | 19,528 | #22 |
| 1985 | 20,844 | #21 |
| 1984 | 20,955 | #22 |
| 1983 | 20,347 | #20 |
| 1982 | 19,878 | #20 |
| 1981 | 20,712 | #17 |
| 1980 | 22,611 | #16 |
| 1979 | 20,268 | #17 |
| 1978 | 19,761 | #16 |
| 1977 | 20,745 | #17 |
| 1976 | 21,359 | #13 |
| 1975 | 19,793 | #13 |
| 1974 | 20,193 | #13 |
| 1973 | 20,802 | #13 |
| 1972 | 22,027 | #16 |
| 1971 | 22,962 | #18 |
| 1970 | 23,571 | #18 |
| 1969 | 20,747 | #21 |
| 1968 | 18,501 | #22 |
| 1967 | 17,830 | #23 |
| 1966 | 16,475 | #25 |
| 1965 | 16,826 | #25 |
| 1964 | 14,567 | #32 |
| 1963 | 13,278 | #31 |
| 1962 | 12,348 | #33 |
| 1961 | 11,111 | #38 |
| 1960 | 10,539 | #44 |
| 1959 | 9,726 | #46 |
| 1958 | 8,190 | #50 |
| 1957 | 6,621 | #60 |
| 1956 | 5,252 | #79 |
| 1955 | 4,660 | #85 |
| 1954 | 4,169 | #89 |
| 1953 | 3,929 | #89 |
| 1952 | 3,989 | #88 |
| 1951 | 3,664 | #93 |
| 1950 | 3,095 | #98 |
| 1949 | 2,768 | #105 |
| 1948 | 2,491 | #114 |
| 1947 | 2,344 | #122 |
| 1946 | 1,820 | #134 |
| 1945 | 1,351 | #153 |
| 1944 | 1,195 | #158 |
| 1943 | 1,170 | #161 |
| 1942 | 866 | #182 |
| 1941 | 703 | #199 |
| 1940 | 482 | #249 |
| 1939 | 432 | #258 |
| 1938 | 370 | #286 |
| 1937 | 299 | #309 |
| 1936 | 296 | #310 |
| 1935 | 288 | #320 |
| 1934 | 259 | #340 |
| 1933 | 234 | #351 |
| 1932 | 199 | #399 |
| 1931 | 213 | #385 |
| 1930 | 206 | #408 |
| 1929 | 205 | #406 |
| 1928 | 221 | #403 |
| 1927 | 208 | #419 |
| 1926 | 214 | #409 |
| 1925 | 211 | #410 |
| 1924 | 228 | #406 |
| 1923 | 175 | #463 |
| 1922 | 200 | #424 |
| 1921 | 179 | #458 |
| 1920 | 186 | #445 |
| 1919 | 190 | #426 |
| 1918 | 202 | #412 |
| 1917 | 186 | #413 |
| 1916 | 155 | #447 |
| 1915 | 155 | #436 |
| 1914 | 145 | #394 |
| 1913 | 109 | #413 |
| 1912 | 93 | #399 |
| 1911 | 35 | #497 |
| 1910 | 41 | #421 |
| 1909 | 33 | #436 |
| 1908 | 30 | #438 |
| 1907 | 22 | #495 |
| 1906 | 33 | #363 |
| 1905 | 23 | #463 |
| 1904 | 15 | #587 |
| 1903 | 34 | #322 |
| 1902 | 26 | #388 |
| 1901 | 25 | #371 |
| 1900 | 21 | #518 |
| 1899 | 17 | #457 |
| 1898 | 30 | #350 |
| 1897 | 30 | #339 |
| 1896 | 25 | #388 |
| 1895 | 20 | #437 |
| 1894 | 20 | #419 |
| 1893 | 13 | #538 |
| 1892 | 18 | #458 |
| 1891 | 18 | #411 |
| 1890 | 13 | #533 |
| 1889 | 21 | #388 |
| 1888 | 13 | #554 |
| 1887 | 11 | #544 |
| 1886 | 10 | #605 |
| 1885 | 16 | #462 |
| 1884 | 12 | #547 |
| 1883 | 11 | #556 |
| 1882 | 9 | #652 |
| 1881 | 9 | #595 |
| 1880 | 10 | #600 |
Nicknames for Eric
Names like Eric
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Robin Vincent Joey Patrick Ronnie Reggie Frankie Lenny Toby Rudy Michael Evan
Other spellings of Eric
Names related to Eric
More Old Norse names
Freya Ralph Astrid Colby Rafe Odin Ralphie Freyja Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica Raife Ivar Gunnar Dustin