Eric

Eric
Title page from 1891 edition of the book Eric, or, Little by Little, whose popularity is credited with increasing the use of the name Eric
Pronunciation	/ˈɛrɪk/
Gender	male
Meaning	one, alone, ruler, prince, powerful, rich
Language of Origin	Scandinavian
Origin	Old Norse
Name day	May 18 (Sweden & Norway)
Derived	Eiríkr
Popularity	Popular names page

Look up Eric in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The given name Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr. The first element, ei- is derived either from the older Proto-Norse *aina(z) meaning "one" or "alone"^[1] or from Proto-Norse *aiwa(z) meaning "ever" or "eternal"^[2]. The second element -ríkr derives either from *rík(a)z meaning "ruler" or "prince" (cf. Gothic reiks) or from an even older Proto-Germanic *ríkiaz which meant "powerful" and "rich".^[3] The name is thus usually taken to mean "one ruler" or "eternal ruler" or "ever powerful," etc.

The most common spelling in Scandinavia is Erik. In Norway, an older form of the name is Eirik is also commonly used ^[4]. In Finland, the form Erkki is also used. The modern Icelandic version is Eiríkur.^[5][6][7]

Although the name was in use in Anglo-Saxon Britain, its use was reinforced by Scandinavian settlers arriving before the Norman Invasion. It was an uncommon name in England 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 Frederick William Farrer in 1858. The Erik spelling is traditional in Scandinavia. Eric is used in French, and in Germany Erich and Erik are both used.

The official name day for Erik and Eirik is May 18 in Sweden and Norway.

People

Danish royalty

• Eric I of Denmark, King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I in 1095
• Eric II of Denmark, king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137
• Eric III of Denmark, the king of Denmark from 1137 until he abdicated in 1146
• Eric IV of Denmark, king of Denmark from 1241 until his death
• Eric V of Denmark, son of Christopher I
• Eric VI of Denmark, son of Eric V
• Eric of Pomerania, king of the Kalmar union

Norwegian royalty

• Eric of Pomerania, the hereditary king of Norway
• Eric I of Norway, the second king of Norway
• Eirik II of Norway, the king of Norway from 1280 until 1299
• Eiríkr Hákonarson, earl of Lade, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria
• Erik the Red, the son of Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson

Swedish royalty

• Alrek and Eirík, two legendary kings of Sweden
• Erik Weatherhat, more or less mythical Swedish king
• Erik Björnsson, one of the sons of Björn Ironside
• Erik Refilsson, Swedish king of the House of Munsö
• Eric Anundsson, Swedish king who ruled during the 9th century
• Eric VI of Sweden, king of the Swedes during the second half of the 10th century
• Eric VII of Sweden, Swedish monarch
• Eric IX of Sweden, Swedish king between 1150 and 1160
• Eric X of Sweden, the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216
• Eric XI of Sweden, the son of king Erik X of Sweden and Richeza of Denmark
• Eric XII of Sweden, rival King of Sweden and to his father Magnus II from 1356 to his death in 1359
• Eric XIV of Sweden, King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568

Fictional characters

• Erik the Red (comics), fictional character in the Marvel Comics comic book universe
• Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, a disfigured genius, created by French writer Gaston Leroux
• Eric the Cavalier, a character in the TV series Dungeons & Dragons
• Prince Eric, the love interest of Princess Ariel in the Disney movie, The Little Mermaid
• Eric Cartman, fictional character in the cartoon somedy "South Park"

In other languages

• English: Eric, less commonly Erik
• Danish: Erik, Eirik
• Dutch: Eric, Erik, Erich (rare)
• Faroese: Eiríkur
• French: Eric (rare)
• German: Erich, less commonly Erik
• Icelandic: Eiríkur
• Norwegian: Erik, Eirik
• Old Norse: Eiríkr
• Swedish: Eric, Erik

See also

• Eriksgata

References