Boy name · Old Norse
Erik
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: eternal rulerErik is a boy's name that comes from Old Norse and means "eternal ruler". It is used in German, Scandinavian, English and Dutch.
- Meaning
- Eternal ruler
- Origin
- Old Norse
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #546 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Erik
As a boy's name, Erik comes from Old Norse and means "eternal ruler". It is used in German, Scandinavian, English and Dutch.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Erik on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Erik on 5 lists.
“Eternal ruler; Old Norse. Borne by the Viking who named Greenland”
From Classic boy names, classic boy names from around the world
“Eternal ruler; Old Norse. The Red founded Greenland's first settlements, 980s”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval Norse and Scandinavian names
“After the red-haired Viking who founded Greenland's first Norse settlement”
From Orange cat names, famous orange cats and redheads
“Eternal ruler; Old Norse, the Red explorer who named Greenland”
From Strong boy names, powerful boy names for kings and leaders
“Eternal ruler; the Red founded Norse Greenland around 985”
From Viking names, names of famous Vikings
How popular is Erik?
- US rank in 2025
- #546
- 549 babies, 321 per million boys
- Best rank
- #64 in 1980
- 4,918 babies that year
- Babies since 1911
- At least 157,461
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 8 per million |
| 1920s | 13 per million |
| 1930s | 22 per million |
| 1940s | 58 per million |
| 1950s | 121 per million |
| 1960s | 767 per million |
| 1970s | 1,943 per million |
| 1980s | 1,969 per million |
| 1990s | 1,725 per million |
| 2000s | 1,123 per million |
| 2010s | 559 per million |
| 2020s | 386 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #355 | #368 | #377 | #384 | #422 | #442 | #432 | #454 | #476 | #546 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Erik
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ErichEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
Names spelled like Erik
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- DerekRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DirkRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DonalWorld ruler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- EricaEver ruler (Old Norse, girl)
Middle names for Erik
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- DarrellFrom Airelle, a place in Normandy (Old French, boy)
- DennisOf Dionysus (Greek, boy)
- FletcherArrow maker (Old French, boy)
- FrancisFrenchman (Latin, boy)
- GeraldPower of the spear (Germanic, boy)
- GlennValley (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- LeopoldBold people (Germanic, boy)
- PrestonPriest's town (Old English, boy)
More boy names from Old Norse
- SvenBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
- BjörnA bear (Old Norse, boy)
- HaraldArmy ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- HolgerIsland spear (Old Norse, boy)
- IngolfIng's wolf (Old Norse, boy)
- IvorYew warrior (Old Norse, boy)
- OdinFrenzy, inspiration (Old Norse, boy)
- RaghnallCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RonaldCounsel ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- SigmundVictory protection (Old Norse, boy)
Erik: common questions
What does the name Erik mean?
Erik comes from Old Norse and means "eternal ruler".
Is Erik a boy or girl name?
Erik is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Erik come from?
Erik comes from Old Norse and means "eternal ruler". Today it is used in German, Scandinavian, English and Dutch.
How popular is the name Erik?
Erik ranked #546 in the US in 2025, with 549 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Erik?
Forms of Erik with the same meaning and origin include Erich (German).
What middle names go with Erik?
Middle names that flow well with Erik include Darrell, Dennis, Fletcher, Francis and Gerald. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.