Erik
Old Norse Eiríkr, “ever-ruler” or “sole ruler.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Erik first shows up in the national records in 1911. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 23 different years between 1971 and 1994. Its biggest year was 1980, when 4,918 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 64 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 545 for boys. All told, 158,126 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Eric (893,184), Erick (79,880), Erich (11,706), Errick (1,326), Eryk (1,053), Eriq (742) (total births since 1880)
Explore Erik interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 52 | No. 1740 |
| 1920s | 141 | No. 1628 |
| 1930s | 232 | No. 1015 |
| 1940s | 857 | No. 535 |
| 1950s | 2,450 | No. 384 |
| 1960s | 14,770 | No. 119 |
| 1970s | 32,094 | No. 66 |
| 1980s | 36,350 | No. 64 |
| 1990s | 33,605 | No. 95 |
| 2000s | 22,408 | No. 143 |
| 2010s | 10,506 | No. 256 |
| 2020s | 3,996 | No. 422 |
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.