Name
Eric
Meaning
Eric is a masculine name of Old Norse origin meaning “ever ruler”.
Eric descends from the Old Norse Eiríkr, usually read as ever-ruler or eternal king, the name of Viking adventurers like Erik the Red and a long line of Swedish kings. It settled permanently into English after the Victorian story Eric, or Little by Little.
A US top-30 name through the 1970s and 1980s; still widely given.
Popularity in the United States
Boys
Ranked #273 in 2025 · peak #16 in 1980
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
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Questions
Eric is a masculine name of Old Norse origin meaning “ever ruler”. Eric descends from the Old Norse Eiríkr, usually read as ever-ruler or eternal king, the name of Viking adventurers like Erik the Red and a long line of Swedish kings.
Eric is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. It is a US top-30 name through the 1970s and 1980s; still widely given.
The name Eric comes from Old Norse. Eric descends from the Old Norse Eiríkr, usually read as ever-ruler or eternal king, the name of Viking adventurers like Erik the Red and a long line of Swedish kings. It settled permanently into English after the Victorian story Eric, or Little by Little.
Eric is pronounced AIR-ik.
More names that mean royalty
Names that share this meaning.