The

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to

monophthongization Monophthongization is a sound change by which a diphthong becomes a monophthong, a type of vowel shift. It is also known as ungliding, as diphthongs are also known as gliding vowels. In languages that have undergone monophthongization, digraphs ...

). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older

Proto-Norse Proto-Norse (also called Ancient Nordic, Ancient Scandinavian, Ancient Norse, Primitive Norse, Proto-Nordic, Proto-Scandinavian and Proto-North Germanic) was an Indo-European language spoken in Scandinavia that is thought to have evolved as a ...

''* aina(z)'', meaning "one, alone, unique", ''as in the form'' ''Æ∆inrikr'' explicitly, but it could also be from ''* aiwa(z)'' "everlasting,

eternity Eternity, in common parlance, means infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas sempit ...

", as in the Gothic form ''

Euric Euric (Gothic: ''* Aiwareiks'', see '' Eric''), also known as Evaric, or Eurico in Spanish and Portuguese (c. 420 – 28 December 484), son of Theodoric I, ruled as king (''rex'') of the Visigoths, after murdering his brother, Theodoric II, ...

''. The second element ''- ríkr'' stems either from

Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic bran ...

''* ríks'' "king, ruler" (cf. Gothic ''

reiks Reiks (; pronunciation ; Latinized as ''rix'') is a Gothic title for a tribal ruler, often translated as "king". In the Gothic Bible, it translates to the Greek '' árchōn'' (ἄρχων). It is presumably translated as '' basiliskos'' (βασ ...

'') or the therefrom derived ''* ríkijaz'' "kingly, powerful, rich, prince"; from the common

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo- ...

root * h₃rḗǵs. The name is thus usually taken to mean "sole ruler, autocrat" or "eternal ruler, ever powerful". ''Eric'' used in the sense of a proper noun meaning "one ruler" may be the origin of ''

Eriksgata Eriksgata (i.e. "Erik's Road") is the tour traditionally taken in the Middle Ages by a newly-elected Swedish king through the important provinces of the realm to have his election confirmed by the local assemblies. The actual election took place ...

'', and if so it would have meant "one ruler's journey".''Swedish etymological dictionary'', by Elof Hellquist (1922), p. 121
/ref> The tour was the medieval Swedish king's journey, when newly elected, to seek the acceptance of peripheral provinces. ''Eric'' is one of the most commonly used Germanic names in the United States, along with

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, Edward and others. The most common spelling across Fennoscandia and in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

is ''Erik''. In

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, another form of the name (which has kept the Old Norse diphthong) ''Eirik'' is also commonly used. The modern Icelandic version is ''Eiríkur'' , while the modern Faroese version is ''Eirikur''. In

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

and

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

(where Fenno-Swedish remains an official minority language), the standard Nordic name form ''Erik'' is found, but it may also be spelled

phonetically Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds, or in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians. ...

as ''

Eerik Eerik is a masculine given name most commonly found in Estonia and Finland. It is a cognate of the English language name Eric. Men and boys named Eerik celebrate name day in Finland and Estonia on 18 May. Eerik may refer to: *Eerik Aps (born ...

'' (), in accordance with

Finnic language The Finnic (''Fennic'') or more precisely Balto-Finnic (Balto-Fennic, Baltic Finnic, Baltic Fennic) languages constitute a branch of the Uralic language family spoken around the Baltic Sea by the Baltic Finnic peoples. There are around 7 mi ...

orthography An orthography is a set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, emphasis, and punctuation. Most transnational languages in the modern period have a writing system, and ...

, along with a slew of other unique Balto-Finnic variant forms including '' Eerikki'', ''

Eero Eero is an Estonian and Finnish masculine given name (pronounced: /e:ro/). Notable people with the name include: * Eero Aarnio (born 1932), Finnish interior designer * Eero Aho (born 1968), Finnish actor * Eero Akaan-Penttilä (born 1943), ...

'', '' Erki'' and ''

Erkki Erkki is a Finnish and Estonian given name (derived from Erik). Notable people with the name include: * Erkki Aadli (born 1974), Estonian orienteer * Erkki Aaltonen (1910–1990), Finnish composer * Erkki Ala-Könni (1911– 1996), Finnish ...

''. Although the name was in use in Anglo-Saxon England, its use was reinforced by

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n settlers arriving before the Norman conquest of England. It was an uncommon name in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

until the Middle Ages, when it gained popularity, and finally became a common name in the 19th century. This was partly because of the publishing of the novel '' Eric, or, Little by Little'' by

Frederic Farrar Frederic William Farrar (Bombay, 7 August 1831 – Canterbury, 22 March 1903) was a cleric of the Church of England (Anglican), schoolteacher and author. He was a pallbearer at the funeral of Charles Darwin in 1882. He was a member of the Cambr ...

in 1858. The

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

form of the name is ''Euricus'' or '' Erīcus'' (), which was also adopted into Old Swedish usage (for example, cf. 15th century Kalmar Swedish historian

Ericus Olai Ericus Olai (ca. 1420-1486) was a Swedish theologian and historian. He served as a professor of theology at Uppsala University and dean at Uppsala Cathedral. Ericus Olai was the author of the chronicle ''Chronica regni Gothorum'' and was an earl ...

). Whence come the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

forms Ερίκος (Eríkos) or Ερρίκος (Erríkos) (both ), in addition to the direct Nordic borrowing Έρικ (Érik). ''Éric'' () is used in French, ''Erico'' or ''Errico'' in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, ''Érico'' in

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

. (Note some phonetically simplified modern forms may be conflated with descendants of cognate name

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

via Henrīcus,

Henrik Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. In Poland, the name is spelt Henryk but pronounced similarly. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Heiki (Estonian), Heik ...

, from

Haimarīks, sharing the stem *rīks.) Among

Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic, spoken during the ...

, most using the

Latin alphabet The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and th ...

borrow ''Erik'', but there also exists

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

Eryk Eryk is a Polish given name (derived from Erik). Notable people with the name include: * Eryk Anders (born 1987), American mixed martial artist * Eryk Hansel (born 1941), Polish footballer * Eryk Kurnatowski (1883-1975), Polish nobleman a ...

''. The name is adapted into Cyrillic as

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Э́йрик (Éyrik) or Э́рик (Érik), and

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

Е́рік (Érik). The Baltic languages use forms such as Latvian '' Ēriks'' and Lithuanian ''Erikas''. And in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, ''Eric'', ''Erik'' and ''Erich'' are used.Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS): Beliebteste Vornamen
Gfds.de. Retrieved 1 February 2013. In

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, the most common spelling is ''Erick''. In

, Sweden and

, the

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...

for derivations of Erik and Eirik is 18 May, commemorating the death of Saint King

Eric IX of Sweden Eric IX, (Swedish: ''Erik Jedvardsson; Erik den helige; Sankt Erik''; d. 18 May 1160) also called Eric the Holy, Saint Eric, and Eric the Lawgiver, was a Swedish king in the 12th century, 1156–1160. The ''Roman Martyrology'' of the Catholic ...

, founder of the royal

House of Eric The House of Eric ( sv, Erikska ätten) was a medieval Swedish royal dynasty with several pretenders to the throne between 1150 and 1220, rivaling for kingship of Sweden with the House of Sverker. The first king from the House of Eric was Eric ...

. The feminine derivative is ''

Erica Erica or ERICA may refer to: * Erica (given name) * ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus * Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America * ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game * ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus * E ...

'' or ''Erika''.

Royalty

Visigothic

, king of the Visigoths between 466 and 484

Danish

Eric I of Denmark Eric I ( – 10 July 1103), also known as Eric the Good ( da, Erik Ejegod), was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of Sweyn II. His mother's identity is unknown. He married Boedil Thurgotsdatter. Biog ...

, king of Denmark between 1095 and 1103 *

Eric II of Denmark Eric II the Memorable ( da, Erik II Emune; – 18 September 1137) was king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137. Eric was an illegitimate son of Eric I of Denmark, who ruled Denmark from 1095 to 1103. Eric the Memorable rebelled against his uncle Niel ...

, king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137 *

Eric III of Denmark Eric III Lamb ( da, Erik III Lam, – 27 August 1146) was the King of Denmark from 1137 until 1146. He was the grandson of Eric I of Denmark and the nephew of Eric II of Denmark, whom he succeeded on the throne. He abdicated in 1146, as t ...

, king of Denmark from 1137 until he abdicated in 1146 *

Eric IV of Denmark Eric IV, also known as Eric Ploughpenny or Eric Plowpenny ( da, Erik Plovpenning), ( – 10 August 1250) was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death in 1250. His reign was marked by conflict and civil wars against his brothers. Early life E ...

, king of Denmark from 1241 until his murder in 1250 *

Eric V of Denmark Eric V Klipping (1249 – 22 November 1286) was King of Denmark from 1259 to 1286. After his father Christopher I died, his mother Margaret Sambiria ruled Denmark in his name until 1266, proving to be a competent regent. Between 1261 and 1262, ...

, son of Christopher I, reigned from 1259 to his murder in 1286 *

Eric VI of Denmark Eric VI Menved (1274 – 13 November 1319) was King of Denmark (1286–1319). A son of King Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg, he became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered on 22 November by unknown assailants. On account of his ag ...

, firstborn son of Eric V, reigned from 1286 to 1319 *

Eric VII of Denmark Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (139 ...

, also Eric III of Norway and Eric XIII of Sweden, reigned from 1397 to his deposition in 1439

Norwegian

Eric I of Norway Eric Haraldsson ( non, Eiríkr Haraldsson , no, Eirik Haraldsson; died 954), nicknamed Bloodaxe ( non, blóðøx , no, Blodøks) and Brother-Slayer ( la, fratrum interfector), was a 10th-century Norwegian king. He ruled as King of Norway from ...

(Eric Bloodaxe), the second king of Norway * Eric II of Norway, the king of Norway from 1280 until 1299 *

Eric III of Norway Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (13 ...

, also Eric VII of Denmark and Eric XIII of Sweden *

Eiríkr Hákonarson Erik Hakonsson, also known as Eric of Hlathir or Eric of Norway, (, 960s – 1020s) was Earl of Lade, Governor of Norway and Earl of Northumbria. He was the son of Earl Hákon Sigurðarson and brother of the legendary Aud Haakonsdottir of Lade. H ...

, earl of Lade, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria * Erik the Red, the son of Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson

Swedish

Alaric and Eric Alaric and Eric (Old Norse: ''Alrekr'' and ''Eiríkr''), according to legend, were two kings of Sweden. In the ''Ynglinga saga'' According to the ''Ynglinga saga'', Alaric and Eric were sons and heirs of the previous king Agni. They shared the ...

, two legendary kings of Sweden * Jorund and Eirik, two legendary kings of Sweden *

Erik Björnsson Erik Björnsson was supposedly one of the sons of Björn Ironside and a legendary king of Sweden of the House of Munsö The House of Munsö (), also called the House of Björn Ironside (Swedish: ), the House of Uppsala (Swedish: ) or simply the O ...

, one of the sons of Björn Ironside *

Erik Refilsson Erik Refilsson was a legendary king of Sweden of the House of Munsö The House of Munsö (), also called the House of Björn Ironside (Swedish: ), the House of Uppsala (Swedish: ) or simply the Old dynasty (Swedish: ), is the earliest reliably a ...

, Swedish legendary king *

Eric Anundsson Eric Anundsson or Eymundsson was a semi-legendary Swedish king who supposedly ruled during the 9th century. The Norse sagas describe him as successful in extending his realm over the Baltic Sea, but unsuccessful in his attempts of westward expansi ...

, Swedish legendary king who ruled during the 9th century, may be the same as Erik Weatherhat, a more or less mythical Swedish king *

Eric the Victorious Eric the Victorious (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr inn sigrsæli'', Modern Swedish: ''Erik Segersäll''; c. 945 – c. 995) was a Swedish monarch as of around 970. Although there were earlier Swedish kings, he is the first Swedish king in a consecutive reg ...

, king of the Swedes during the second half of the 10th century *

Eric and Eric Eric and Eric, according to Adam of Bremen, were two contenders for the kingship of Sweden around 1066–67, after the death of King Stenkil. They waged war on each other, with disastrous consequences: " this war all the Swedish magnates are said t ...

, two pretenders around 1066 *

, Swedish king between 1150 and 1160, called Saint Eric, Eric the Lawgiver, Eric the Saint, or Eric the Holy *

Eric X of Sweden Eric "X" (Swedish: ''Erik Knutsson''; Old Norse: ''Eiríkr Knútsson''; – 10 April 1216) was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as ''Eric the Survivor'' (Swedish: "Erik som överlevde"), he was, at his accession to the thro ...

, the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216 *

Eric XI of Sweden Eric "XI" the Lisp and Lame Swedish: ''Erik Eriksson'' or ''Erik läspe och halte''; Old Norse: ''Eiríkr Eiríksson'' (1216 – 2 February 1250) was king of Sweden in 1222–29 and 1234–50. Being the last ruler of the House of Eric, he stood ...

, the son of king Erik X of Sweden and Richeza of Denmark *

Eric XII of Sweden Eric XII ( Swedish: ''Erik Magnusson''; 1339 – 21 June 1359) was King of Sweden and lord of Scania in 1344–1359. He was a co-ruler with his father, King Magnus IV, from 1356 until his death in 1359. Referring to Erik Magnusson as King Eri ...

, rival King of Sweden and to his father Magnus IV from 1356 to his death in 1359 * Eric XIII of Sweden, Eric of Pomerania *

Eric XIV of Sweden Eric XIV ( sv, Erik XIV; 13 December 153326 February 1577) was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1569. Eric XIV was the eldest son of Gustav I (1496–1560) and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1513–1535). He was also ruler of Est ...

, King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568

Given name

Eric, Erich, and Erik are very common given names. The below list is a sampling. See , , and for comprehensive lists.

A–E

Erik Acharius Erik Acharius (10 October 1757 – 14 August 1819) was a Swedish botanist who pioneered the taxonomy of lichens and is known as the "father of lichenology." Acharius was famously the last pupil of Carl Linnaeus. Life Acharius was born in 1 ...

, Swedish botanist *

Eric Adams Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is an American politician and retired police captain serving as the 110th mayor of New York City since January 1, 2022. Adams was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and then the New York ...

, American politician and retired police officer *Eric the Actor, television actor, radio personality *Eric Adjetey Anang, Ghanaian artist *Erik Affholter (born 1966), American football player *Eric Allen (born 1965), American football coach *Eric Andersen (born 1943), American singer-songwriter *Eric Andersen (artist) (born 1940), Danish artist *Eric Andre, American comedian *Eric Ayala (born 1999), Puerto Rican basketball player *Eric Bana (born 1968), Australian actor *Eric Banks (American football) (born 1998), American football player *Eric Bauza (born 1979), American voice actor *Eric Bazilian (born 1953), American singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, member of The Hooters *Erich Beer (born 1946), German footballer *Eric Benét (born 1966), American singer-songwriter and actor * Eric Marlon Bishop, American actor and musician known by the stage name Jamie Foxx * Eric Arthur Blair, English author known by his pen-name George Orwell *Eric Blore, English character actor *Eric Boe (born 1964), United States Air Force fighter pilot Colonel, test pilot, a Civil Air Patrol member, and a NASA astronaut *Eric Bolling (born 1963), American news commentator *Erik Gustaf Boström (1842–1907), Swedish landowner and politician *Eric DeWayne Boyd (born 1972), American criminal convicted of the kidnapping, rape and murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom *Eric L. Boyd, American software engineer *Erich Brandenberger, German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II *Eric R. Braverman (born 1957), American physician *Eric Brodkowitz, Israeli-American baseball pitcher for the Israel national baseball team *Nick Bravin, Eric "Nick" Bravin (born 1971), American Olympic fencer *Erik Breukink, Dutch racing cyclist *Eric Brewer (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey player *Erik Bryggman (1891–1955), Finnish architect *Eric Burdon, English vocalist, songwriter and frontman of The Animals *Erick Cabaco, Uruguayan footballer *Erick Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer *Eric Cantona (born 1966), French footballer *Eric Cantor, American politician *Eric Carle, children's author *Erik Carrasco, Chilean basketball player *Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Cameroonian footballer *Eric Church, American country music singer and songwriter *Eric Christian Olsen, American actor *Eric Clapton (born 1945), English guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter * Erick Brian Colón, singer, member of CNCO *Erich Consemüller, German Bauhaus-trained architect and photographer *Éric de Cromières (1953–2020), French sports executive *Eric Decker, American football player *Erik Dekker, Dutch racing cyclist *Erik Del Bufalo, Venezuelan philosopher *Erick Delgado, Peruvian footballer *Erik von Detten (born 1982), former American actor *Eric Dever, American painter *Eric Dickerson, American football player *Eric Dier (born 1994), English footballer *Erik Durm, German footballer *Erik Edman, Swedish footballer *Erik Erikson, German-born American developmental psychologist *Eric Esch, American boxer *Erik Estrada, American actor *Erik Ezelius (born 1986), Swedish politician *Erik Ezukanma (born 2000), American football player

F–L

*Erich von Falkenhayn (1861–1922), Chief of the German General Staff during the First World War *Eric Felton, American football player *Erik Ivar Fredholm, Swedish mathematician *Eric Frenzel (born 1988), German Nordic combined skier *Eric Fromm (born 1958), American tennis player *Erich Fromm, German sociologist and writer *Erik Frank, Finnish cyclist * Eric Friedler (born 1954), American tennis player *Eric Garcia (disambiguation), multiple people *Erich Gonzales (born 1990), Filipina actress *Eric Gonzalez (lawyer), American lawyer *Erik González (born 1991), Dominican baseball player *Eric Gordon (born 1988), American professional basketball player *Eric Gray (disambiguation), multiple people *Erick Green (born 1991), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League *Eric Greitens, American politician, author, and Navy SEAL *Eric Griffin (basketball) (born 1990), American basketball player *Erik Gustaf Geijer, Swedish writer, historian, and composer *Erik Guay, Canadian alpine skier *Eric Hacker, American professional baseball pitcher *Erik Hamrén, Swedish football coach *Eric Harper, New Zealand sportsman *Eric Harris (disambiguation), multiple people *Erich Hartmann, German WWII fighter ace *Eric A. Havelock, British classicist *Eric Hayes, British soldier *Eric Hayes (American football), American football player *Eric Heiden, American speed skater *Erik Heinrichs, Finnish general *Eric Himelfarb, Canadian ice hockey player *Eric Holcomb, American politician *Eric Holle, American football player * Eric Holmback (1916–1965), American professional wrestler, also known by ring name Yukon Eric *Eric Holtz (born 1965), American Head Coach of the Israel national baseball team *Erich Honecker, (1922–1993), East German leader *Eric Hosmer, American baseball player *Eric Hutchinson, American singer-songwriter *Eric Idle, English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer *Eric Jacobson, American puppeteer *Eric Johnson (guitarist, born 1954), Eric Johnson, American guitarist and recording artist *Erik Johnson, American hockey player *Erik Jorpes, Finnish-born Swedish physician and biochemist *Eric Jungmann (born 1981), American actor *Eric Kandel (born 1929), Austrian-American physician and Nobel Prize laureate *Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish Nobel Prize winning poet *Erik Karlsson, Swedish hockey player *Erich Kästner, (1899–1974), German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist *Erik Keedus, Estonian basketball player *Erik Kynard, American high jumper *Eriq La Salle, American actor and director *Erik Lamela, Argentine footballer *Eric Lange, American actor *Eric Larson, American animator for the Walt Disney Studios starting in 1933 and one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men" *Erik Laxmann, Russian explorer of Swedish origin *Eric Liddell, Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary *Eric Lindell, American singer-songwriter *Eric Lindros, hockey player *Eric Lively (born 1981), American actor *Erik Lorig (born 1986), American football player *Erich Ludendorff, German general and one of the moat significant commanders of World War I

M–Z

*Eric Mabius, American actor *Eric Martsolf, American actor *Eric Maskin, American economist and Nobel prize laureate *Erich von Manstein, German field marshal *Erik Mariñelarena, Mexican screenwriter, director and producer *Eric McCormack, American actor *Erik McCoy (born 1997), American football player *Erick McIntosh, American football player *Erik Messerschmidt, American cinematographer *Eric Minkin (born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player *Erik Mongrain, Canadian composer and guitarist *Eric Morecambe, English comedian *Eric Moon, English Librarian *Erich Muhsfeldt, German SS officer at Auschwitz and Majdanek concentration camps executed for war crimes * Eric Hilliard Nelson (1940–1985), better known as Ricky Nelson, American actor, singer/songwriter and musician *Eric Nam, a Korean American singer-songwriter, entertainer and television presenter *Erick Neres da Cruz, Brazilian footballer *Eric Nkansah, Ghanaian sprinter *Eric Nystrom (born 1983), American hockey player *Eric Owens (bass-baritone), American opera singer *Erik Palladino, American actor *Eric Pardinho, Brazilian professional baseball player *Eric Parker (American football), American football player *Eric Peterson, Canadian actor *Erik Peterson (theologian) (1890–1960), German theologian *Eric Pierpoint, American actor *Eric Pinkins, American football player *Eric Prydz, Swedish disc jockey and producer *Erick Pulgar, Chilean footballer *Eric Ravotti, American football player *Erich Maria Remarque (1898–1970), German writer (''All Quiet on the Western Front'') *Erik Rhodes (actor, born 1906), American film and Broadway actor *Erich Ribbeck (born 1937), German footballer and coach *Erik Rico, American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ *Éric Ripert, chef and co-owner of the New York restaurant, Le Bernardin *Eric Roberts, American actor *Eric Rosswood, American activist *Erich Roth (1910–1947), Nazi Gestapo member executed for war crimes *Erich Rudorffer (1917–2016), German Luftwaffe fighter ace *Eric Saade, Swedish singer/songwriter *Erik Satie, French composer *Eric Saubert (born 1994), American football player *Eric Schmidt, billionaire executive chairman of Google *Erik Schmidt (painter), Estonian painter *Eric Sevareid, American journalist *Eric Singer, American hard rock and heavy metal drummer, best known as a member of Kiss *Erik Solbakken, Norwegian television presenter *Erik Spoelstra (born 1970), Filipino-American professional basketball coach *Eric Staal, Canadian hockey player *Eric Stanley (violinist), American violinist and composer *Eric Steele (born 1954), English football player and coach *Eric Still (born 1967), American football player *Eric Stokes (disambiguation), multiple people *Eric Stoltz, American actor, director and producer *Erik Swanson (born 1993), American baseball player *Eric Sykes, English radio, television and film writer, actor and director *Eric Thomas (disambiguation), multiple people *Eric Thorne (1862–1922), English singer and actor *Eric Trolle (c. 1460–1530), regent of Sweden in 1512 *Eric Trolle (1863–1934), Swedish diplomat *Eric Tsang, Hong Kong film actor, producer and director *Erik Turner, rhythm guitarist of glam metal band Warrant *Erick Thohir, Indonesian businessman and entrepreneur *Erik Valdez, American actor *Eric Vale, voice actor and script writer *Erik Verlinde, Dutch theoretical physicist *Erik De Vlaeminck, Belgian racing cyclist *Erick Silva, Brazilian mixed martial artist *Erick Wainaina, Kenyan long-distance runner *Erich Wasicky, German SS pharmacist at Mauthausen concentration camp in charge of gassing victims and was executed. *Eric Welsh, intelligence officer *Eric Wennström, Swedish hurdler *Eric Whitacre, composer and conductor *Erik White, American director *Erik White (Canadian football), Canadian football player *E. B. Wikramanayake, Sri Lankan Sinhala politician and lawyer *Eric Wikramanayake, Sri Lankan Sinhala conservationist *Eric Wilkerson, American football player *Erik Adolf von Willebrand, Finnish internist (von Willebrand disease) *Eric Winstanley (1944–2021), English footballer * Eric Lynn Wright, American rapper known as Eazy-E *Eric Yuan (born 1969/70), American billionaire, founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications *Erik Zabel (born 1970), German cyclist *Eric Zinterhofer (born 1971), American private equity financier *Erik de Zwart, Dutch radio and television maker

Fictional characters

* Eric, a character in the 2002 American coming-of-age romantic drama movie ''A Walk to Remember#Cast, A Walk to Remember'' * Erik the Red, fictional Shi'ar character in the Marvel Comics comic book universe * Eric, a character from the video game Zero Time Dilemma *Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik, the titular character in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel ''The Phantom of the Opera'' * Erik, a Reindeer villager from the video game series ''Animal Crossing'' *Flat Eric, low-tech, yellow puppet character from Levi's commercials for Sta-Prest One Crease Denim Clothing * Eric Birling, son of Arthur Birling in J. B. Priestley, J B Priestley's play ''An Inspector Calls'' * Eric Blonowitz, a character in the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Drake & Josh'' *Blade (character), Eric Brooks, also known as Blade in the Marvel Universe **Blade (New Line Blade franchise character), Blade (New Line ''Blade'' franchise character) **Blade (Marvel Cinematic Universe) *Eric Cartman, one of the four main characters in the TV series ''South Park'' * Eric Duckman, titular character from the TV series ''Duckman'' *Eric Foreman, major character from the TV series ''House (TV series), House M.D.'' *Eric Forman (That '70s Show), the main character in ''That 70s Show'' *Eric Gibb, a character in the 1986 American fantasy drama film ''The Boy Who Could Fly#Cast, The Boy Who Could Fly'' *General Erich Von Klinkerhoffen, the boss of Colonel Kurt Von Strohm, Captain Alberto Bertorelli, Captain Hans Geering and Lieutenant Hubert Gruber in the TV series '''Allo 'Allo!'' * Eric McGowen, a character in the 1994 American martial arts drama movie ''The Next Karate Kid#Cast, The Next Karate Kid'' *Eric Murphy, fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage (U.S. TV series), Entourage *Eric Northman, the love interest of Sookie Stackhouse in the ''Southern Vampire Mysteries'' novels and the TV series ''True Blood'' *Eric Draven, the undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder in the movie ''The Crow'' *Erik Von Darkmoor, fictional character appearing in the novels of Raymond E. Feist *Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto in the Marvel Universe *Eric Matthews (character), Eric Matthews, a main character from the TV series ''Boy Meets World'' and its spinoff ''Girl Meets World'' * Erik Pinksterblom, the main character in ''Erik of het klein insectenboek'' *Eric Myers, a character in ''Power Rangers Time Force'' *Erik Killmonger, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the main antagonist of Black Panther (film), ''Black Panther'' *Rincewind#Eric Thursley, Eric Thursley, a thirteen-year-old demonologist and the titular character of the Discworld novel ''Eric (novel), Eric'×' *Eric van der Woodsen, Gossip Girl character * Erik, a thief as well as one of the main companions of the protagonist in the video game, ''Dragon Quest XI'' * Eric Yorkie, a character in novel series ''Twilight (novel series), Twilight'' *Prince Eric, the love interest of Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Princess Ariel in the Disney movie, ''The Little Mermaid (1989 film), The Little Mermaid''

Surname

*Dobrica Erić (1936–2019), Serbian writer *Elspeth Eric (1907–1993), American actress *Jelena Erić (born 1979), Serbian handball player *Micheal Eric (born 1988), Nigerian basketball player *Nenad Erić (born 1982), Serbian football goalkeeper *Slađana Erić (born 1983), Serbian volleyball player *Zoran Erić (born 1950), Serbian composer

References

{{Reflist English-language masculine given names English masculine given names Danish masculine given names Dutch masculine given names German masculine given names Norwegian masculine given names Scandinavian masculine given names Swedish masculine given names