Eric
Old Norse Eiríkr, “ever-ruler” or “sole ruler.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Eric appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1950 to 2010. Its biggest year was 1970, when 23,571 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 18 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1973, at No. 13. In 2025 it ranked No. 273 for boys. All told, 893,184 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Erik (158,126), Erick (79,880), Erich (11,706), Errick (1,326), Eryk (1,053), Eriq (742) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Erica, Erika
Explore Eric interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 122 | No. 388 |
| 1890s | 204 | No. 339 |
| 1900s | 262 | No. 322 |
| 1910s | 1,311 | No. 394 |
| 1920s | 2,027 | No. 403 |
| 1930s | 2,796 | No. 258 |
| 1940s | 15,190 | No. 105 |
| 1950s | 53,295 | No. 46 |
| 1960s | 152,222 | No. 21 |
| 1970s | 211,481 | No. 13 |
| 1980s | 204,230 | No. 16 |
| 1990s | 135,244 | No. 24 |
| 2000s | 69,480 | No. 42 |
| 2010s | 31,550 | No. 95 |
| 2020s | 9,477 | No. 198 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.