The first name Erik
A boy’s name from Norse.
2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Norse origin
A spelling variant of Eric, or directly borrowed from modern Swedish Erik.
A form of Eric.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 99 boys were named Erik, making it the 408th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 151 births (#310).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Erik with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Erik at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 549 boys born in the United States were named Erik, the 546th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1980, when 4,918 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Erik
220 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Erik SatieFrench composer and pianist (1866-1925)
- Erik EriksonAmerican German-born psychoanalyst & essayist, 1902–1994
- Erik the RedExplorer and founder of the first viking settlement in Greenland, 950–1003
- Erik LamelaArgentine association football player, born 1992
- Adolf Erik NordenskiöldFinland Swedish baron, geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer (1832–1901)
- Erik ten HagDutch football manager, born 1970
- Erik DurmGerman association football player, born 1992
- Erik BruhnDanish ballet dancer (1928-1986)
- Erik MongrainCanadian composer and guitarist, born 1980
- Erik PietersDutch association football player, born 1988
- Erik PontoppidanDanish author, bishop, historian and antiquary (1698–1764)
- Erik ZabelGerman cyclist, born 1970
More Norse boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Erik mean?
- A spelling variant of Eric, or directly borrowed from modern Swedish Erik.
- What is the origin of the name Erik?
- A spelling variant of Eric, or directly borrowed from modern Swedish Erik.
- How popular is the name Erik?
- In 2025, 99 boys born in England and Wales were named Erik, ranking 408th. Its peak was 2021, with 151 births.
- Is Erik a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 158,126 US babies named Erik since 1880 were boys.
- When was Erik most popular?
- 1980 in the United States, when 4,918 babies were named Erik, its highest rank at 64th.
- What name is Erik a form of?
- Erik is a form of Eric.
- What are other spellings of Erik?
- Eric, Erick, Eriq and Erique.