Eric

Male given name

English: /ˈɛrɪk/ ERR-ik
French: [eʁik]
Romanian: [ˈerik]
Erik
Swedish: [ˈêːrɪk]
Dutch: [ˈeːrɪk]
Erich
German: [ˈeːʁɪç] GenderMaleLanguage(s)North GermanicName daySweden & Norway: 18 MayOriginWord/nameOld NorseMeaning"sole ruler",
"eternal ruler"Region of originGermaniaOther namesVariant form(s)Eiríkr

The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr [ˈɛiˌriːkz̠] (or Eríkr [ˈeˌriːkz̠] in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).

The first element, ei- may be derived from the older Proto-Norse *aina(z), meaning "one, alone, unique",[1] as in the form Æ∆inrikr explicitly, but it could also be from *aiwa(z) "everlasting, eternity",[2] as in the Gothic form Euric.[3] The second element -ríkr stems either from Proto-Germanic *ríks "king, ruler" (cf. Gothic reiks) or the therefrom derived *ríkijaz "kingly, powerful, rich, prince"; from the common Proto-Indo-European root *h₃rḗǵs.[4] The name is thus usually taken to mean "sole ruler, autocrat" or "eternal ruler, ever powerful".[5] Eric used in the sense of a proper noun meaning "one ruler" may be the origin of Eriksgata, and if so it would have meant "one ruler's journey".[6] The tour was the medieval Swedish king's journey, when newly elected, to seek the acceptance of peripheral provinces.

Eric is one of the most commonly used Germanic names in the United States, along with Robert, William, Edward and others. [7]

The most common spelling across Fennoscandia and in the Netherlands is Erik. In Norway, another form of the name (which has kept the Old Norse diphthong) Eirik (Norwegian: [ˈæ̂ɪrɪk]) is also commonly used.[8] The modern Icelandic version is Eiríkur (Icelandic: [ˈeiːˌriːkʏr̥]),[9][10][11] while the modern Faroese version is Eirikur.

In Estonia and Finland (where Fenno-Swedish remains an official minority language), the standard Nordic name form Erik is found, but it may also be spelled phonetically as Eerik (Finnish: [ˈeːrik]), in accordance with Finnic language orthography, along with a slew of other unique Balto-Finnic variant forms including Eerikki, Eero, Erki and Erkki.[12][13][14][15]

Although the name was in use in Anglo-Saxon England, its use was reinforced by Scandinavian settlers arriving before the Norman conquest of England. It was an uncommon name in England until the Middle Ages, when it gained popularity, and finally became a common name in the 19th century. This was partly because of the publishing of the novel Eric, or, Little by Little by Frederic Farrar in 1858.

The Latin form of the name is Euricus or Erīcus (Medieval Latin: [ɛˈriː.kus]), which was also adopted into Old Swedish usage (for example, cf. 15th century Kalmar Swedish historian Ericus Olai).[16] Whence come the Greek forms Ερίκος (Eríkos) or Ερρίκος (Erríkos) (both pronounced [eˈri.kos]), in addition to the direct Nordic borrowing Έρικ (Érik).[17][18]

Éric (French: [e.ʁik]) is used in French, Erico in Italian, Érico in Portuguese. (Note some phonetically simplified modern forms may be conflated with descendants of cognate name Henry via Henrīcus, Henrik, from Proto-Germanic Haimarīks, sharing the stem *rīks.)

Among Slavic languages, most using the Latin alphabet borrow Erik, but there also exists Polish Eryk. The name is adapted into Cyrillic as Russian Э́йрик (Éyrik) or Э́рик (Érik), and Ukrainian Е́рік (Érik). The Baltic languages use forms such as Latvian Ēriks and Lithuanian Erikas.[19][20][21]

And in Germany, Eric, Erik and Erich are used.[22] In South America, the most common spelling is Erick.

In Norway, Sweden and Finland, the name day for derivations of Erik and Eirik is 18 May, commemorating the death of Saint King Eric IX of Sweden, founder of the royal House of Eric.

The feminine derivative is Erica or Erika.

Royalty

Visigothic

  • Euric, king of the Visigoths between 466 and 484

Danish

Norwegian

Swedish

Given name

Eric, Erich, and Erik are very common given names. The below list is a sampling. See All pages with titles beginning with Eric, All pages with titles beginning with Erich, and All pages with titles beginning with Erik for comprehensive lists.

A–E

  • Erik (wrestler), stage name for American professional wrestler Raymond Rowe Sr. (born 1984)
  • Erik Aadahl (born 1976), American sound editor
  • Eric Abidal (born 1979), French former professional footballer
  • Eric Adams, American politician and retired police officer
  • Erich Carl Hugo Adamson (1902–1968), Estonian artist
  • Eric the Actor, television actor, radio personality
  • Eric Adjetey Anang, Ghanaian artist
  • Erik Affholter (born 1966), American football player
  • Erik Agard, American crossword solver, constructor, and editor
  • Eric Aho (born 1966), American painter
  • Eric Albronda (born 1945), American musician
  • Eric Allen (born 1965), American football coach
  • Erick Allen (born 1975), Georgia House of Representatives former member
  • Eric Alterman (born 1960), American historian, journalist, author, media critic, blogger, and educator
  • Eric Ambler (born 1909), English writer of thrillers and spy novels
  • Eric Andersen (born 1943), American singer-songwriter
  • Erik Andersen (disambiguation), several people
  • Erik Andersson (disambiguation), several people
  • Eric Andersen (artist) (born 1940), Danish artist
  • Eric Anderson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Eric André, American comedian
  • Eric Andrews (1933–2001), Australian historian, academic and author
  • Eric Angle (born 1967), American former amateur and professional wrestler
  • Eric Arndt (born 1986), American professional wrestler
  • Eric Appel (born 1980), American filmmaker
  • Eric Ash (1928–2021), British electrical engineer
  • Eric Arnold, American journalist and author
  • Eric Arnold (footballer) (1922–2002), English footballer
  • Eric Ayala (born 1999), Puerto Rican basketball player
  • Eric Bana (born 1968), Australian actor
  • Eric Banks (American football) (born 1998), American football player
  • Eric Wollencott Barnes (1907–1962), American educator, diplomat, actor, and writer
  • Eric Bauman, eBaum's World founder
  • Eric Bauza (born 1979), American voice actor
  • Eric Bazilian (born 1953), American singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, member of The Hooters
  • Erich Beer (born 1946), German footballer
  • Eric Beishline, American convicted murderer
  • Eric Bell (disambiguation), several people
  • Eric Bellinger (born 1984), American singer and songwriter
  • Eric Bentley (1916–2020), British-born American theater critic, playwright, singer, editor, and translator
  • Eric Benét (born 1966), American singer-songwriter and actor
  • Eric Bercovici (1933–2014), American television and film producer and screenwriter
  • Eric Berry American football player; Kansas City Chiefs strong safety
  • Eric Berry (actor) (1913–1993), British stage and film actor
  • Erick Berry (1892–1974), American writer, illustrator and editor
  • Eric Bieniemy (born 1969), American football player and coach
  • Eric Bischoff (born 1955), American television producer, professional wrestling booker, and performer
  • Eric Marlon Bishop, American actor and musician known by the stage name Jamie Foxx
  • Eric Arthur Blair, English author known by his pen-name George Orwell
  • Eric Blore, English character actor
  • Eric Boe (born 1964), United States Air Force fighter pilot Colonel, test pilot, a Civil Air Patrol member, and a NASA astronaut
  • Eric Bolling (born 1963), American news commentator
  • Erik Gustaf Boström (1842–1907), Swedish landowner and politician
  • Erik Bottcher (born 1979), American politician
  • Eric Boulter (born 1952), Australian swimmer, athlete, and wheelchair basketball player
  • Eric DeWayne Boyd (born 1972), American criminal convicted of the kidnapping, rape and murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom
  • Eric L. Boyd, American software engineer
  • Erik Brahe (1722–1756), Swedish count
  • Erich Brandenberger, German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II
  • Eric R. Braverman (born 1957), American physician
  • Eric Braeden (born 1941), German-born film and television actor
  • Eric Brodkowitz, Israeli-American baseball pitcher for the Israel national baseball team
  • Eric "Nick" Bravin (born 1971), American Olympic fencer
  • Erik Breukink, Dutch racing cyclist
  • Eric Brewer (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Eric Bruskotter, American actor
  • Erik Bryggman (1891–1955), Finnish architect
  • Eric Burdon, English vocalist, songwriter and frontman of The Animals
  • Erick Cabaco, Uruguayan footballer
  • Eric Campbell (disambiguation), several people
  • Erik Campbell (born 1966), American gridiron football coach and former player
  • Eric Cantona (born 1966), French footballer
  • Eric Cantor, American politician
  • Érik Canuel (born 1961), Canadian film director and actor
  • Eric Carle, children's author
  • Eric Carmen (1949–2024), American singer and musician
  • Erik Carrasco, Chilean basketball player
  • Erick Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
  • Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Cameroonian footballer
  • Eric Church, American country music singer and songwriter
  • Eric Clapton (born 1945), English guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter
  • Eric Clay (1922–2007), British rugby league referee
  • Eric L. Clay (born 1948), United States circuit judge
  • Eric Cobham (c. 1700 – 1760?), British pirate whose existence is disputed
  • Erick Brian Colón, singer, member of CNCO
  • Erich Consemüller, German Bauhaus-trained architect and photographer
  • Eric "Bobo" Correa (born 1968), American percussionist
  • Eric Christensen (visual effects supervisor)
  • Eric J. Christensen, American astronomer
  • Erik Christensen (disambiguation), several people
  • Eric Cooke (1931–1964), Australian serial killer
  • Eric Crawford (disambiguation), several people
  • Éric de Cromières (1953–2020), French sports executive
  • Eric Czapnik (1958–2009), Polish Ottawa Police Service member
  • Eric Dane (born 1972), American actor
  • Eric Darius (born 1982), American saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and educator
  • Erik Darling (1933–2008), American songwriter and a folk music artist
  • Eric Davidson (survivor) (1915–2009), one of the last survivors of the Halifax Explosion
  • Eric H. Davidson (1937–2015), American biologist
  • Eric Decker, American football player
  • Erik Dekker, Dutch racing cyclist
  • Erik Del Bufalo, Venezuelan philosopher
  • Erick Delgado, Peruvian footballer
  • Erik von Detten (born 1982), former American actor
  • Eric Dever, American painter
  • Eric Dickerson, American football player
  • Eric Dier (born 1994), English footballer
  • Erik Durm, German footballer
  • Eric Easton (1927–1995), English record producer
  • Erik Edman, Swedish footballer
  • Eric Edwards Jr. (born 2000), American hurdler
  • Eric Embry (born 1959), American retired professional wrestler
  • Eric Erickson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Erik Erikson, German-born American developmental psychologist
  • Eric Erlandson (born 1963), American musician, guitarist, and writer
  • Eric Esch, American boxer
  • Eric Esrailian, American physician at the David Geffen School of Medicine
  • Eric J. Essene (1939–2011), American professor emeritus of geosciences and a metamorphic petrologist
  • Erik Estrada, American actor
  • Erik Ezelius (born 1986), Swedish politician
  • Erik Ezukanma (born 2000), American football player

F–L

M–Z

  • Eric Mabius, American actor
  • Erich von Manstein, German field marshal
  • Eric Martsolf, American actor
  • Erik Mariñelarena, Mexican screenwriter, director and producer
  • Eric Maskin, American economist and Nobel prize laureate
  • Eric Maturin (1883–1957), British actor
  • Eric McCormack (disambiguation), several people
  • Erik McCoy (born 1997), American football player
  • Erick McIntosh, American football player
  • Erik Messerschmidt, American cinematographer
  • Eric Milroy (1887–1916), Scottish rugby union player
  • Eric Minkin (born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player
  • Erik Mongrain, Canadian composer and guitarist
  • Eric Montross (1971–2023), American professional basketball player
  • Eric Moon, English Librarian
  • Eric Morecambe, English comedian
  • Eric Muenter (1871–1915), German-American political terrorist, activist, spy, professor and would-be assassin
  • Erich Muhsfeldt, German SS officer at Auschwitz and Majdanek concentration camps executed for war crimes
  • Eric Mun (born 1979), South Korean rapper, songwriter and actor
  • Eric Nam, a Korean American singer-songwriter, entertainer and television presenter
  • Eric Naposki (born 1966), American convicted murderer and former football player
  • Eric Nazarian, Armenian-American film director and screenwriter
  • Eric Nenno (1961–2008), American sex offender
  • Erick Neres da Cruz, Brazilian footballer
  • Eric Nicksick (born 1979), American mixed martial artist
  • Erik Nielsen (disambiguation), several people
  • Erik Nielson (academic), academic and expert in the use of rap music as evidence in criminal trials
  • Erik Nielson (footballer) (born 1996), Cape Verdean footballer
  • Eric Nkansah, Ghanaian sprinter
  • Eric Nystrom (born 1983), American hockey player
  • Eric O'Dell (born 1990), Canadian professional ice hockey player
  • Eric Olson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Eric Osborn (1922–2007), Australian theologian
  • Eric Owens (bass-baritone), American opera singer
  • Erik Palladino, American actor
  • Eric Pardinho, Brazilian professional baseball player
  • Eric Parker (American football), American football player
  • Eric Peterson, Canadian actor
  • Erik Peterson (theologian) (1890–1960), German theologian
  • Eric Pierpoint, American actor
  • Eric Pinkins, American football player
  • Eric Pohlmann (1913–1979), Austrian theatre, film and television character actor
  • Eric Pollard (skier), American freeskier
  • Eric Pollard, American musician who records as Actual Wolf
  • Eric Poole (disambiguation), several people
  • Eric Pop (born 1975), Romanian engineer and professor
  • Eric Prydz, Swedish disc jockey and producer
  • Erick Pulgar, Chilean footballer
  • Eric Quizon (born 1967), Filipino actor and director
  • Eric Radford (born 1985), Canadian pair skater
  • Eric Ravotti, American football player
  • Erich Maria Remarque (1898–1970), German writer (All Quiet on the Western Front)
  • Erik Rhodes (actor, born 1906), American film and Broadway actor
  • Erich Ribbeck (born 1937), German footballer and coach
  • Erik Rico, American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ
  • Éric Ripert, chef and co-owner of the New York restaurant, Le Bernardin
  • Eric Roberts, American actor
  • Eric Rosswood, American activist
  • Erich Roth (1910–1947), Nazi Gestapo member executed for war crimes
  • Eric Rubin, American microbiologist and infectious disease specialist
  • Erich Rudorffer (1917–2016), German Luftwaffe fighter ace
  • Eric Saade, Swedish singer/songwriter
  • Eric Saarinen (born 1942), Finnish American cinematographer and film director
  • Erik Salumäe (born 1970), Estonian politician
  • Erik Santos (born 1982), Filipino singer
  • Erik Satie, French composer
  • Eric Saubert (born 1994), American football player
  • Eric Sbraccia (born 1968), American retired professional wrestler
  • Eric Schmidt, billionaire executive chairman of Google
  • Erik Schmidt (painter), Estonian painter
  • Eric Scott (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Erick Sermon (born 1968), American rapper and producer
  • Eric Sevareid, American journalist
  • Eric Shinseki (born 1942), United States retired Army general
  • Eric Singer, American hard rock and heavy metal drummer, best known as a member of Kiss
  • Erik Solbakken, Norwegian television presenter
  • Erik Sowinski (born 1989), American middle-distance runner
  • Erik Spoelstra (born 1970), Filipino-American professional basketball coach
  • Eric Staal, Canadian hockey player
  • Eric Stanley (violinist), American violinist and composer
  • Eric Stanton (1926–1999), American underground cartoonist and fetish art pioneer
  • Eric Steele (born 1954), English football player and coach
  • Eric Still (born 1967), American football player
  • Eric Stokes (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Eric Stoltz, American actor, director and producer
  • Eric Stults (born 1979), American former professional baseball pitcher
  • Erik Swanson (born 1993), American baseball player
  • Eric Sykes, English radio, television and film writer, actor and director
  • Éric Tabarly (1931–1998), French Navy officer and yachtsman
  • Eric Thomas (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Eric Thorne (1862–1922), English singer and actor
  • Eric Justin Toth (born 1982), American former fugitive
  • Erick Thohir, Indonesian businessman and entrepreneur
  • Erik Tomáš (born 1975), Slovak politician
  • Eric Trolle (c. 1460–1530), regent of Sweden in 1512
  • Eric Trolle (1863–1934), Swedish diplomat
  • Eric Tsang, Hong Kong film actor, producer and director
  • Eric Turner (disambiguation), several people
  • Erik Valdez, American actor
  • Eric Vale, voice actor and script writer
  • Erik Verlinde, Dutch theoretical physicist
  • Erik De Vlaeminck, Belgian racing cyclist
  • Erick Silva, Brazilian mixed martial artist
  • Erick Wainaina, Kenyan long-distance runner
  • Erich Wasicky, German SS pharmacist at Mauthausen concentration camp in charge of gassing victims and was executed
  • Eric Watts, American football player
  • Erik Watts (born 1967), American semi-retired professional wrestler
  • Eric Welsh, intelligence officer
  • Eric Wennström, Swedish hurdler
  • Eric Whitacre, composer and conductor
  • Erik White, American director
  • Erik White (Canadian football), Canadian football player
  • E. B. Wikramanayake, Sri Lankan Sinhala politician and lawyer
  • Eric Wikramanayake, Sri Lankan Sinhala conservationist
  • Eric Wilkerson, American football player
  • Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish internist (von Willebrand disease)
  • Eric Charles Twelves Wilson (1912–2008), English British Army officer and colonial administrator
  • Eric Winstanley (1944–2021), English footballer
  • Eric Woolfson (1945–2009), Scottish songwriter, musician and exectutive producer
  • Eric Lynn Wright, American rapper known as Eazy-E (1964–1995)
  • Eric Yap (born 1979), Filipino politician
  • Eric Young (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Eric Yuan (born 1969/70), American billionaire, founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications
  • Erik Zabel (born 1970), German cyclist
  • Éric Zemmour (born 1958), French far-right politician, essayist, writer and former political journalist and pundit
  • Eric Zinterhofer (born 1971), American private equity financier
  • Erik de Zwart, Dutch radio and television maker

Fictional characters

Surname

See also

References

  1. ^ Entries "Æiríkʀ", "Æi-", in: Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (2002) by Lena Peterson at the Swedish Institute for Linguistics and Heritage (Institutet för språk och folkminnen). Entry "EIN" at Nordic Names. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  2. ^ Entry "Erik" at Nordic Names Wiki. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  3. ^ T. Perrenot, La toponymie burgonde, Payot, 1942, p. 211.
  4. ^ Entries "Æiríkʀ", "Ríkʀ" and "-ríkʀ" in Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (2002) by Lena Peterson at the Swedish Institute for Linguistics and Heritage (Institutet för språk och folkminnen).
  5. ^ Frank Nuessel (1992). The Study of Names: A Guide to the Principles and Topics. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 11. Archived from the original on 2017-07-06.
  6. ^ Swedish etymological dictionary, by Elof Hellquist (1922), p. 121
  7. ^ "Top Names over the Last 100 Years".
  8. ^ In November 2008, there were 20,000 men named Erik in Norway (appr. 0.9% of the male pop.) and 13,000 named Eirik (0.8%). Source: Statistics Norway, http://www.ssb.no/navn/)
  9. ^ Behind The Name
  10. ^ Etymology Online
  11. ^ United States Social Security Database
  12. ^ Eerik, Nordic Names
  13. ^ Eerik, behindthename.com
  14. ^ Eero, babynamespedia.com
  15. ^ Eerikki, babynamespedia.com
  16. ^ Ericus, Nordic Names
  17. ^ Έρικ, names-n-gifts (in Greek)
  18. ^ Ερρίκος, names-n-gifts (in Greek)
  19. ^ Eryk, behindthename.com
  20. ^ Ēriks, behindthename.com
  21. ^ Erikas, behindthename.com
  22. ^ Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS): Beliebteste Vornamen. Gfds.de. Retrieved 1 February 2013.