Eric Oxenstierna.jpg

The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' 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", ''as in the form'' ''Æ∆inrikr'' explicitly, but it could also be from ''* aiwa(z)'' "everlasting, eternity", as in the Gothic form '' Euric''. 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. The name is thus usually taken to mean "sole ruler, autocrat" or "eternal ruler, ever powerful". ''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".''Swedish etymological dictionary'', by Elof Hellquist (1922), p. 121
/ref> 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.

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'' is also commonly used. The modern Icelandic version is ''Eiríkur'' , 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'' (), in accordance with Finnic language orthography, along with a slew of other unique Balto-Finnic variant forms including ''Eerikki'', '' Eero'', '' Erki'' and ''Erkki''.

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'' (), which was also adopted into Old Swedish usage (for example, cf. 15th century Kalmar Swedish historian Ericus Olai). Whence come the Greek forms Ερίκος (Eríkos) or Ερρίκος (Erríkos) (both ), in addition to the direct Nordic borrowing Έρικ (Érik).

''Éric'' () is used in French, ''Erico'' or ''Errico'' 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''.

And in Germany, ''Eric'', ''Erik'' and ''Erich'' are used.Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS): Beliebteste Vornamen
Gfds.de. Retrieved 1 February 2013. 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

* Eric I of Denmark, king of Denmark between 1095 and 1103
* Eric II of Denmark, king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137
* Eric III of Denmark, king of Denmark from 1137 until he abdicated in 1146
*Eric IV of Denmark, king of Denmark from 1241 until his murder in 1250
* Eric V of Denmark, son of Christopher I, reigned from 1259 to his murder in 1286
* Eric VI of Denmark, firstborn son of Eric V, reigned from 1286 to 1319
* Eric VII of Denmark, also Eric III of Norway and Eric XIII of Sweden, reigned from 1397 to his deposition in 1439

Norwegian

*Eric I of Norway (Eric Bloodaxe), the second king of Norway
*Eric II of Norway, the king of Norway from 1280 until 1299
*Eric III of Norway, also Eric VII of Denmark and Eric XIII of Sweden
* Eiríkr Hákonarson, earl of Lade, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria
*Erik the Red, the son of Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson

Swedish

*Alaric and Eric, two legendary kings of Sweden
* Jorund and Eirik, two legendary kings of Sweden
* Erik Björnsson, one of the sons of Björn Ironside
* Erik Refilsson, Swedish legendary king
*Eric Anundsson, Swedish legendary king who ruled during the 9th century, may be the same as Erik Weatherhat, a more or less mythical Swedish king
* Eric the Victorious, king of the Swedes during the second half of the 10th century
* Eric and Eric, two pretenders around 1066
*Eric IX of Sweden, Swedish king between 1150 and 1160, called Saint Eric, Eric the Lawgiver, Eric the Saint, or Eric the Holy
* Eric X of Sweden, the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216
* Eric XI of Sweden, the son of king Erik X of Sweden and Richeza of Denmark
* Eric XII of Sweden, rival King of Sweden and to his father Magnus IV from 1356 to his death in 1359
* Eric XIII of Sweden, Eric of Pomerania
* Eric XIV of Sweden, King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568

Given name

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

A–E

* Erik Acharius, Swedish botanist
* Eric Adams, American politician and retired police officer
*Eric the Actor, television actor, radio personality
*Eric Adjetey Anang, Ghanaian artist
*Erik Affholter (born 1966), American football player
* Eric Allen (born 1965), American football coach
* Eric Andersen (born 1943), American singer-songwriter
*Eric Andersen (artist) (born 1940), Danish artist
* Eric Andre, American comedian
*Eric Ayala (born 1999), Puerto Rican basketball player
* Eric Bana (born 1968), Australian actor
*Eric Banks (American football) (born 1998), American football player
* 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 Benét (born 1966), American singer-songwriter and actor
* 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
*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
* Erich Brandenberger, German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II
*Eric R. Braverman (born 1957), American physician
*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
* Erik Bryggman (1891–1955), Finnish architect
* Eric Burdon, English vocalist, songwriter and frontman of The Animals
*Erick Cabaco, Uruguayan footballer
*Erick Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
* Eric Cantona (born 1966), French footballer
* Eric Cantor, American politician
* Eric Carle, children's author
*Erik Carrasco, Chilean basketball player
* Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Cameroonian footballer
* Eric Church, American country music singer and songwriter
* Eric Christian Olsen, American actor
*Eric Clapton (born 1945), English guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter
* Erick Brian Colón, singer, member of CNCO
* Erich Consemüller, German Bauhaus-trained architect and photographer
* Éric de Cromières (1953–2020), French sports executive
*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
*Erik Edman, Swedish footballer
*Erik Erikson, German-born American developmental psychologist
*Eric Esch, American boxer
*Erik Estrada, American actor
*Erik Ezelius (born 1986), Swedish politician
*Erik Ezukanma (born 2000), American football player

F–L

*Erich von Falkenhayn (1861–1922), Chief of the German General Staff during the First World War
*Eric Felton, American football player
*Erik Ivar Fredholm, Swedish mathematician
*Eric Frenzel (born 1988), German Nordic combined skier
*Eric Fromm (born 1958), American tennis player
*Erich Fromm, German sociologist and writer
*Erik Frank, Finnish cyclist
* Eric Friedler (born 1954), American tennis player
*Eric Garcia (disambiguation), multiple people
*Erich Gonzales (born 1990), Filipina actress
*Eric Gonzalez (lawyer), American lawyer
*Erik González (born 1991), Dominican baseball player
*Eric Gordon (born 1988), American professional basketball player
*Eric Gray (disambiguation), multiple people
*Erick Green (born 1991), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
*Eric Greitens, American politician, author, and Navy SEAL
*Eric Griffin (basketball) (born 1990), American basketball player
*Erik Gustaf Geijer, Swedish writer, historian, and composer
*Erik Guay, Canadian alpine skier
*Eric Hacker, American professional baseball pitcher
*Erik Hamrén, Swedish football coach
*Eric Harper, New Zealand sportsman
*Eric Harris (disambiguation), multiple people
*Erich Hartmann, German WWII fighter ace
*Eric A. Havelock, British classicist
*Eric Hayes, British soldier
*Eric Hayes (American football), American football player
*Eric Heiden, American speed skater
*Erik Heinrichs, Finnish general
*Eric Himelfarb, Canadian ice hockey player
*Eric Holcomb, American politician
*Eric Holle, American football player
* Eric Holmback (1916–1965), American professional wrestler, also known by ring name Yukon Eric
*Eric Holtz (born 1965), American Head Coach of the Israel national baseball team
*Erich Honecker, (1922–1993), East German leader
*Eric Hosmer, American baseball player
*Eric Hutchinson, American singer-songwriter
*Eric Idle, English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer
*Eric Jacobson, American puppeteer
*Eric Johnson (guitarist, born 1954), Eric Johnson, American guitarist and recording artist
*Erik Johnson, American hockey player
*Erik Jorpes, Finnish-born Swedish physician and biochemist
*Eric Jungmann (born 1981), American actor
*Eric Kandel (born 1929), Austrian-American physician and Nobel Prize laureate
*Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish Nobel Prize winning poet
*Erik Karlsson, Swedish hockey player
*Erich Kästner, (1899–1974), German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist
*Erik Keedus, Estonian basketball player
*Erik Kynard, American high jumper
*Eriq La Salle, American actor and director
*Erik Lamela, Argentine footballer
*Eric Lange, American actor
*Eric Larson, American animator for the Walt Disney Studios starting in 1933 and one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men"
*Erik Laxmann, Russian explorer of Swedish origin
*Eric Liddell, Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary
*Eric Lindell, American singer-songwriter
*Eric Lindros, hockey player
*Eric Lively (born 1981), American actor
*Erik Lorig (born 1986), American football player
*Erich Ludendorff, German general and one of the moat significant commanders of World War I

M–Z

*Eric Mabius, American actor
*Eric Martsolf, American actor
*Eric Maskin, American economist and Nobel prize laureate
*Erich von Manstein, German field marshal
*Erik Mariñelarena, Mexican screenwriter, director and producer
*Eric McCormack, American actor
*Erik McCoy (born 1997), American football player
*Erick McIntosh, American football player
*Erik Messerschmidt, American cinematographer
*Eric Minkin (born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player
*Erik Mongrain, Canadian composer and guitarist
*Eric Morecambe, English comedian
*Eric Moon, English Librarian
*Erich Muhsfeldt, German SS officer at Auschwitz and Majdanek concentration camps executed for war crimes
* Eric Hilliard Nelson (1940–1985), better known as Ricky Nelson, American actor, singer/songwriter and musician
*Eric Nam, a Korean American singer-songwriter, entertainer and television presenter
*Erick Neres da Cruz, Brazilian footballer
*Eric Nkansah, Ghanaian sprinter
*Eric Nystrom (born 1983), American hockey player
*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 Prydz, Swedish disc jockey and producer
*Erick Pulgar, Chilean footballer
*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
*Erich Rudorffer (1917–2016), German Luftwaffe fighter ace
*Eric Saade, Swedish singer/songwriter
*Erik Satie, French composer
*Eric Saubert (born 1994), American football player
*Eric Schmidt, billionaire executive chairman of Google
*Erik Schmidt (painter), Estonian painter
*Eric Sevareid, American journalist
*Eric Singer, American hard rock and heavy metal drummer, best known as a member of Kiss
*Erik Solbakken, Norwegian television presenter
*Erik Spoelstra (born 1970), Filipino-American professional basketball coach
*Eric Staal, Canadian hockey player
*Eric Stanley (violinist), American violinist and composer
*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
*Erik Swanson (born 1993), American baseball player
*Eric Sykes, English radio, television and film writer, actor and director
*Eric Thomas (disambiguation), multiple people
*Eric Thorne (1862–1922), English singer and actor
*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
*Erik Turner, rhythm guitarist of glam metal band Warrant
*Erick Thohir, Indonesian businessman and entrepreneur
*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 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 Winstanley (1944–2021), English footballer
* Eric Lynn Wright, American rapper known as Eazy-E
*Eric Yuan (born 1969/70), American billionaire, founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications
*Erik Zabel (born 1970), German cyclist
*Eric Zinterhofer (born 1971), American private equity financier
*Erik de Zwart, Dutch radio and television maker

Fictional characters

* Eric, a character in the 2002 American coming-of-age romantic drama movie ''A Walk to Remember#Cast, A Walk to Remember''
* Erik the Red, fictional Shi'ar character in the Marvel Comics comic book universe
* Eric, a character from the video game Zero Time Dilemma
*Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik, the titular character in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel ''The Phantom of the Opera''
* Erik, a Reindeer villager from the video game series ''Animal Crossing''
*Flat Eric, low-tech, yellow puppet character from Levi's commercials for Sta-Prest One Crease Denim Clothing
* Eric Birling, son of Arthur Birling in J. B. Priestley, J B Priestley's play ''An Inspector Calls''
* Eric Blonowitz, a character in the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Drake & Josh''
*Blade (character), Eric Brooks, also known as Blade in the Marvel Universe
**Blade (New Line Blade franchise character), Blade (New Line ''Blade'' franchise character)
**Blade (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
*Eric Cartman, one of the four main characters in the TV series ''South Park''
* Eric Duckman, titular character from the TV series ''Duckman''
*Eric Foreman, major character from the TV series ''House (TV series), House M.D.''
*Eric Forman (That '70s Show), the main character in ''That 70s Show''
*Eric Gibb, a character in the 1986 American fantasy drama film ''The Boy Who Could Fly#Cast, The Boy Who Could Fly''
*General Erich Von Klinkerhoffen, the boss of Colonel Kurt Von Strohm, Captain Alberto Bertorelli, Captain Hans Geering and Lieutenant Hubert Gruber in the TV series '''Allo 'Allo!''
* Eric McGowen, a character in the 1994 American martial arts drama movie ''The Next Karate Kid#Cast, The Next Karate Kid''
*Eric Murphy, fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage (U.S. TV series), Entourage
*Eric Northman, the love interest of Sookie Stackhouse in the ''Southern Vampire Mysteries'' novels and the TV series ''True Blood''
*Eric Draven, the undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder in the movie ''The Crow''
*Erik Von Darkmoor, fictional character appearing in the novels of Raymond E. Feist
*Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto in the Marvel Universe
*Eric Matthews (character), Eric Matthews, a main character from the TV series ''Boy Meets World'' and its spinoff ''Girl Meets World''
* Erik Pinksterblom, the main character in ''Erik of het klein insectenboek''
*Eric Myers, a character in ''Power Rangers Time Force''
*Erik Killmonger, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the main antagonist of Black Panther (film), ''Black Panther''
*Rincewind#Eric Thursley, Eric Thursley, a thirteen-year-old demonologist and the titular character of the Discworld novel ''Eric (novel), Eric'×'
*Eric van der Woodsen, Gossip Girl character
* Erik, a thief as well as one of the main companions of the protagonist in the video game, ''Dragon Quest XI''
* Eric Yorkie, a character in novel series ''Twilight (novel series), Twilight''
*Prince Eric, the love interest of Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Princess Ariel in the Disney movie, ''The Little Mermaid (1989 film), The Little Mermaid''

Surname

*Dobrica Erić (1936–2019), Serbian writer
*Elspeth Eric (1907–1993), American actress
*Jelena Erić (born 1979), Serbian handball player
*Micheal Eric (born 1988), Nigerian basketball player
*Nenad Erić (born 1982), Serbian football goalkeeper
*Slađana Erić (born 1983), Serbian volleyball player
*Zoran Erić (born 1950), Serbian composer

See also

*Arik
*Aric
*Éric
* Euric
*Frederick (given name)

References

{{Reflist

English-language masculine given names
English masculine given names
Danish masculine given names
Dutch masculine given names
German masculine given names
Norwegian masculine given names
Scandinavian masculine given names
Swedish masculine given names