Erik

Erik - A very unique male name

Erik appeared on the charts for the first time in 1921 on position #1821. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Erik and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Erik? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Erik. The baby boy name Erik was given to 518 baby boys in 2025, ranking #544 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 2,831 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Erik peaked in popularity 46 years ago in 1980 on position 64.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Erik, 1-5?

Erik is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Erik is currently topping the baby name charts in Utah at position #309 - and is the least popular in New York at position #810.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Erik is where you live.

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Erik origin and meaning

Old Norse

The Scandinavian form of Eric — from Old Norse Eiríkr, 'ever-ruler' or 'sole ruler' (ei, 'ever' + ríkr, 'ruler')

Erik is Eric as spelled across Scandinavia and much of northern Europe, carried by Viking-age kings and by Erik the Red, who settled Greenland. In the US it peaked in 1980 as the alternative spelling of a then-top name.

Attested etymology

Erik is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Erik, pop culture references for the name Erik and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Erik

We've found the following names that sound similar to Erik, sorted by popularity.

Eric / Erick / Erich / Eros / Erica / Eryk / Erika / Errick / Eriq / Erek /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Erik

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Erik a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Erik?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

EH-rik · /ˈɛrɪk/

Around the world

• Erik (Swedish) — The standard Scandinavian form
• Erich (German) — The related German form

Spellings and nicknames

• Eric — The standard English spelling
• Erick — A further spelling variant

Famous bearers

• Erik the Red — Norse explorer who founded the first European settlement in Greenland (c. 950–1003) Historical

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

A Viking-rooted classic with a leaner, more European look than Eric.

Worth knowing

• Eric is the default US spelling; the k will be swapped for a c on sight by many.