Eric


The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr .
The first element, ei- may be derived from the older Proto-Norse *aina, meaning "one, alone, unique", as in the form ''Æ∆inrikr explicitly, but it could also be from *aiwa "everlasting, eternity", as in the Gothic form Euric. The second element -ríkr stems either from Proto-Germanic *ríks "king, ruler" 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". 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 Eirik is also commonly used. The modern Icelandic version is Eiríkur, while the modern Faroese version is Eirikur.
In Estonia and Finland, 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. Whence come the Greek forms Ερίκος or Ερρίκος , in addition to the direct Nordic borrowing Έρικ.
Éric is used in French, Erico in Italian, Érico in Portuguese.
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 or Э́рик, and Ukrainian Е́рік. The Baltic languages use forms such as Latvian Ēriks and Lithuanian Erikas. Meanwhile in Kazakhstan, Ерік is used.
And in Germany, Eric, Erik and Erich are used. 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, 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 Rikissa 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, stage name for American professional wrestler Raymond Rowe Sr.
  • Erik Aadahl, American sound editor
  • Erik Aaes, Danish set designer and art director
  • Eric Abidal, French former professional footballer
  • Eric Adams, American politician and retired police officer
  • Erich Carl Hugo Adamson, Estonian artist
  • Eric the Actor, television actor, radio personality
  • Eric Adjetey Anang, Ghanaian artist
  • Erik Affholter, American football player
  • Erik Agard, American crossword solver, constructor, and editor
  • Eric Aho, American painter
  • Eric Albronda, American musician
  • Eric Allen, American football coach
  • Erick Allen, Georgia House of Representatives former member
  • Eric Alterman, American historian, journalist, author, media critic, blogger, and educator
  • Eric Ambler, English writer of thrillers and spy novels
  • Eric Andersen, American singer-songwriter
  • Erik Andersen, several people
  • Erik Andersson, several people
  • Eric Andersen , Danish artist
  • Eric Anderson, multiple people
  • Eric André, American comedian
  • Eric Andrews, Australian historian, academic and author
  • Eric Angle, American former amateur and professional wrestler
  • Eric Arndt, American professional wrestler
  • Eric Appel, American filmmaker
  • Eric Ash, British electrical engineer
  • Eric Arnold, American journalist and author
  • Eric Arnold , English footballer
  • Eric J. Arnould, anthropologist and author
  • Eric Ayala, Puerto Rican basketball player
  • Eric Bana, Australian actor
  • Eric Banks , American football player
  • Eric Wollencott Barnes, American educator, diplomat, actor, and writer
  • Eric Bauman, eBaum's World founder
  • Eric Bauza, American voice actor
  • Eric Bazilian, American singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, member of The Hooters
  • Erich Beer, German footballer
  • Eric Beishline, American convicted murderer
  • Eric Bell, several people
  • Eric Bellinger, American singer and songwriter
  • Eric Bentley, British-born American theater critic, playwright, singer, editor, and translator
  • Eric Benét, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • Eric Bercovici, American television and film producer and screenwriter
  • Eric Berry American football player; Kansas City Chiefs strong safety
  • Eric Berry , British stage and film actor
  • Erick Berry, American writer, illustrator and editor
  • Eric Bieniemy, American football player and coach
  • Eric Bischoff, 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, United States Air Force fighter pilot Colonel, test pilot, a Civil Air Patrol member, and a NASA astronaut
  • Eric Bolling, American news commentator
  • Erik Gustaf Boström, Swedish landowner and politician
  • Erik Bottcher, American politician
  • Eric Boulter, Australian swimmer, athlete, and wheelchair basketball player
  • Erik Bulatov, Russian artist
  • Eric Butorac, American tennis player
  • Eric DeWayne Boyd, American criminal convicted of the kidnapping, rape and murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom
  • Eric L. Boyd, American software engineer
  • Erik Brahe, Swedish count executed for treason
  • Erik Brahe, Swedish governor, councilor and count of Visingsborg
  • Erich Brandenberger, German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II
  • Erik Brann, American singer and guitarist known for Iron Butterfly
  • Eric R. Braverman, American physician
  • Eric Braeden, German-born film and television actor
  • Eric Brodkowitz, Israeli-American baseball pitcher for the Israel national baseball team
  • Eric "Nick" Bravin, American Olympic fencer
  • Erik Breukink, Dutch racing cyclist
  • Eric Brewer, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Eric Bruskotter, American actor
  • Erik Bryggman, Finnish architect
  • Eric Burdon, English vocalist, songwriter and frontman of The Animals
  • Erick Cabaco, Uruguayan footballer
  • Eric Campbell, several people
  • Erik Campbell, American gridiron football coach and former player
  • Eric Cantona, French footballer
  • Eric Cantor, American politician
  • Érik Canuel, Canadian film director and actor
  • Eric Carle, children's author
  • Eric Carmen, 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, English guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter
  • Eric Clay, British rugby league referee
  • Eric L. Clay, United States circuit judge
  • Eric Cobham, British pirate whose existence is disputed
  • Erick Brian Colón, singer, member of CNCO
  • Erich Consemüller, German Bauhaus-trained architect and photographer
  • Erik Cornell, Swedish diplomat
  • Eric "Bobo" Correa, American percussionist
  • Eric Christensen
  • Eric J. Christensen, American astronomer
  • Erik Christensen, several people
  • Eric Cooke, Australian serial killer
  • Eric Crawford, several people
  • Éric de Cromières, French sports executive
  • Eric Czapnik, Polish Ottawa Police Service member
  • Eric Dane, American actor
  • Erich von Däniken, Swiss author
  • Eric Darius, American saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and educator
  • Erik Darling, American songwriter and a folk music artist
  • Eric Davidson , one of the last survivors of the Halifax Explosion
  • Eric H. Davidson, American biologist
  • Eric Decker, American football player
  • Erik Dekker, Dutch racing cyclist
  • Erik Del Bufalo, Venezuelan philosopher
  • Erick Delgado, Peruvian footballer
  • Erik von Detten, former American actor
  • Eric Dever, American painter
  • Érick Díaz, Panamanian footballer
  • Eric Dickerson, American football player
  • Eric Dier, English footballer
  • Erik Durm, German footballer
  • Eric Easton, English record producer
  • Erik Edman, Swedish footballer
  • Eric Embry, American retired professional wrestler
  • Eric Erickson, multiple people
  • Erik Erikson, German-born American developmental psychologist
  • Eric Erlandson, American musician, guitarist, and writer
  • Eric Esch, American boxer
  • Eric Esrailian, American physician at the David Geffen School of Medicine
  • Eric J. Essene, American professor emeritus of geosciences and a metamorphic petrologist
  • Erik Estrada, American actor
  • Erik Ezelius, Swedish politician
  • Erik Ezukanma, American football player