Eric
How to say it: AIR-ik · /ˈɛrɪk/
From Old Norse 'Eirikr', meaning 'ever ruler' or 'eternal ruler', from 'ei' (ever/always) and 'rikr' (ruler).
Eric was the 148th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 1,256 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1970s, its births are down about 51% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #206 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #148 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 1,256 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,235 |
| Peak decade | 1970s |
| Change over 10 years | −51% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #206 |
| In France, 2025 | #539 among boys’ names, 45 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Once a high flyer in the 1970s, Eric has grown rarer. Now far below its peak, continued slipping looks likely.
What goes with it
Even and crisp with a strong core, Eric sounds steady. Rick serves as a short form and Andrew shares its style.
Middle names that flow with Eric →
Nicknames
- Rick
- Ricky
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Eric is about 1 in 52.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, French, German, Swedish.
In France: #539 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #169. Ireland: #215.
Famous people named Eric
- Eric Clapton (born 1945)British musician
- Eric Abidal (born 1979)French footballer
- Eric Allin Cornell (born 1961)American physicist, professor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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