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Erik

boy name
Origin
Scandinavian
Syllables
2
Peak era
1990s/2000s
Today
▬ Steady

Torn between Erik and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

eternal ruler (Norse; widely used across Norway, Sweden and Denmark)

The story

Erik keeps one letter as a small declaration of origin. Eric is the familiar English spelling; Erik preserves the Scandinavian K and points more directly toward the Old Norse name traditionally interpreted as “eternal ruler.” The difference is visually tiny, but names often carry heritage in exactly such details. A family can cross languages and keep one consonant as a thread back. The name's long northern history gives it a saga-like weight, yet Erik sounds clean and modern in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. That flexibility helped it travel far beyond Scandinavia without becoming detached from it. In the United States it belongs especially to a late-twentieth-century generation, though the chart matters less than the spelling choice families kept making. Erik does not require a helmet, a throne, or a lesson in Vikings. Its story is quieter: an old ruling name adapts to a new country while refusing the most obvious anglicization. Sometimes cultural memory is not a monument. Sometimes it is simply the K on a birth certificate.

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Erik across languages

One shared root links 7 names across 3 languages.

Shared root: from Old Norse Eiríkr, traditionally "ever-ruler", carried by Vikings and revived by the Victorians

The constellation

ErikScandinavianEricEnglishErichGerman

More branches

ErickEnglish · variantEricaEnglish · feminine formErikaScandinavian · variantErickaEnglish · variant

How popular is Erik around the world?

In the United States, 3,996 babies were named Erik between 2020 and 2025. In Norway, 111 boys were given the name Erik in 2025.

Erik is on the official records of the United States, Norway, Austria, Spain, Argentina, Montevideo, Mexico City, Brazil, Scotland, England and Wales, Poland, Canada, Ireland, Chile, South Australia and France.

United States

1 in 5,500

In the United States, 3,996 babies were named Erik between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 1990s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Erik peaked in the 1990s and the 2000s in nearly equal measure. Erik went to 1,019 US babies in 2015 and 549 in 2025, 54% of the earlier figure.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Norway

1 in 250 · register 2026

In Norway, 111 boys were given the name Erik in 2025.

1945peak 19672025

share of the boys on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

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Austria

1 in 820

In Austria, 93 boys named Erik were born in 2025, the 80th most common name among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2018

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

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Spain

#75 · 2024

In Spain, 18,179 residents are named Erik, the 164th most common name among men, with a mean age of 14.7 years.
In Spain, Erik was the 75th most common name among boys born in 2024.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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Argentina

1 in 2,000

In Argentina, 336 newborns were given the name Erik in 2024.

2012peak 20202024

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Montevideo City

1 in 2,100 · 2011

In Montevideo, 12 boys named Erik were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.

1940peak 1995

share of that year’s births on record

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

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Mexico City City

1 in 2,100

In Mexico City, there were 55 registrations of Erik in 2022.

peak 20022022

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (4 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

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Brazil

1 in 4,400

At the 2022 census, 45,617 people in Brazil were named Erik, the 602nd most common name, with a median age of 17.
Among people named Erik living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2000s than in any other decade.

1950speak 2000s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 2,813 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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Scotland

1 in 5,700

In Scotland, 8 boys named Erik were registered in 2024, the 404th most common name among boys that year.

1974peak 2019

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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England and Wales

1 in 5,900

In England and Wales, 99 boys named Erik were born in 2025, the 408th most common name among boys that year.

1996peak 2021

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

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Poland

1 in 6,700

In Poland, 37 boys named Erik were born in 2025, the 205th most common name among boys that year.

2000peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

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Canada

1 in 7,600

In Canada, 48 boys named Erik were born in 2024, the 575th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19912024

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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Ireland

1 in 7,700

In Ireland, 7 boys named Erik were born in 2025, the 468th most common name among boys that year.

1964peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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Chile

1 in 7,700

In Chile, 23 boys were registered as Erik in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.

1920peak 19942021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

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South Australia

1 in 18,000 · 2017

In South Australia, 1 boy was registered as Erik in 2017.
The count never rose above 6 in a year, too few to chart.

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

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France

1 in 32,000

In France, about 20 boys named Erik were born in 2025, ranked 1,706th among boys that year.

1920peak 19602025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

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Puerto Rico

last on record 2016

Erik is not on the 2025 record for Puerto Rico, which withholds births under 5, and 200 babies have carried the name there since 1998.

1998peak 20072025

share of that year’s births on record

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

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Not on the record in New Zealand: that registry withholds small counts, so rare uses may sit below its floor.

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Erik

Most people given the name Erik in the United States were born between 1970 and 2009. The Erik you meet today is most often in his 30s or 40s.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Erik

Lars Sven Nicholas Leif Lorenzo Nils

Keep exploring

Names like Erik · Names that go with Erik · Scandinavian baby names · Short names · Climbers and fallers

The Erik deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Erik truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Erik fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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