Eric is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Eric means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Eric across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Eric has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Eric is a boy name of Old Norse origin meaning “ever-ruler”. from Eiríkr.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 893,184 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 6,517 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 735 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 131 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,621 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 808 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Eric per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1970 (23,719/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2018 (470/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1996 (114/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (49/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2020 (13/yr).
Eric has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1970, when it ranked #25 nationally (given to 23,777 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Erica · Erik · Erika · Erick · Ericka · Aric · Arica · Errick
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