Erik

Erik is a boy's name of Scandinavian origin meaning “eternal ruler.” In 2024 it was given to 644 boys in the United States.

Erik at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Scandinavian
Meaning
“eternal ruler”

About the name Erik

Erik belongs to the Scandinavian tradition. Its meaning — “eternal ruler” — is the sense carried by its Scandinavian roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Erik first appears in Social Security records in 1911. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #64 in 1980, and in 2024 644 babies received the name — 156,900 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Erik in US records

First recorded (US)
1911
Best US rank
#64 in 1980
Peak year
1980
Babies named Erik in 2024
644
Total since 1880
156,900

Similar names

More names from the Scandinavian shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Erik mean?

Erik means “eternal ruler” in its Scandinavian roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Erik a boy or girl name?

Erik is a boy name. In 2024, 644 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Erik?

Erik comes from the Scandinavian tradition.

How popular is the name Erik?

Erik first appears in US records in 1911. Its best-ever ranking was #64 in 1980, and 644 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.