Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Erik

Erik is the most common spelling in the Scandinavian countries. The name ultimately comes from the Old Norse Eirik. Eirik is derived from the North Germanic “ei” (meaning ‘ever, always’) and “ríkr” (meaning ‘ruler’). The name was introduced to England by Scandinavian settlers during the Viking Age (8th to 12th centuries); although, the name didn’t become wide-spread until the 19th century. While the English-speaking countries have traditionally spelled the name Eric, the Scandinavians, particularly in Sweden, favor Erik with a “k”. Erik/Eric was borne by many Scandinavian kings and powerful Viking warriors. Erik is also a top name in Norway, Belgium, and Hungary. In the United States and Canada, Eric (with a “c”) is the favored spelling.

All About the Baby Name – Erik

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ERIK

The number Seven personality is deeply mystical and highly in tune with their spirituality. They operate on a different wavelength than the average joe. Spending time alone comes easily to Sevens, as it gives them time to contemplate philosophical, religious and spiritual ideas in an effort to find "real truth".  Sevens are wise, but often exude mystery as if they are tapped into something the rest of us don't understand. They love the outdoors and are fed by nature. Sevens are constantly seeking to understand human nature, our place in the universe, and the mystery of life in general. This makes them quite artistic and poetic, but they are also keen observers with high intellect - so they are equally scientific-minded. Sevens are charitable and care deeply about the human condition.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ERIK

The name Erik is the third and last most favored spelling in the United States, after Eric and Erick. Erik with a “k” is, however, the most true-to-its-origin spelling. This is how they spell Erik in the Nordic countries where the name was created in the first place. Erik first appeared on the U.S. naming charts in 1940, well after his brothers Eric and Erick. However, this spelling variation of the name has still done quite well in America. It climbed the charts shadowing the most popular Eric. In 1971, Erik became a Top 100 choice as a boy’s name where it stayed for almost 25 straight years. Since the turn of the 21st century, Erik has been on a declining trend. However, if you combine the usage of all three spellings (Eric, Erick and Erik), the name is really a Top 100 favorite still. Erik has a strong and powerful resonance. Erik sounds like a guy’s guy. Scandinavian names are all about Old Norse legends of strength, fortitude and victory. We feel this in the names we borrowed from them and then adopted as our own. Erik is probably one of the truest examples of this. It’s a risk-free and confident choice for any little boy.

Quick Facts

ON ERIK

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Nordic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

310

PRONUNCIATION:

AIR-eck

SIMPLE MEANING:

Eternal Ruler, ever powerful

Characteristics

OF ERIK

Mystical

Wise

Eccentric

Intuitive

Imaginative

Philosophical

Solitary

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Erik

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ERIK

Erik is the titular character of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera (which, of course, has had many incarnations in other novels, in films and in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical of the same name). Erik has been born with a cruel and hideous deformity. As a young boy, he runs away from his family and joins a freak show, where he develops into a master magician and ventriloquist. He is also a musical composer with an unearthly beautiful voice – and – in addition to all this - a side talent for architecture. His fame spreads to Persia, and the Shah sends for him and bids him to build an elaborate palace for him. So pleased is the Shah by the result that he orders Erik’s execution so that he may never build another for anyone else. Erik escapes and makes his way to France, where he works on the construction of the Paris Opera House, managing to build secret chambers and passageways for himself. It is here where he falls in love with the beautiful singer Christine Daae. She, hearing him from outside her dressing room, thinks she is hearing the “Angel of Music” her father had told her about, and grows into an accomplished singer under his tutelage. All this while, she is rekindling a relationship with a childhood friend, the handsome and wealthy Raoul, Viscount of Chagny. Erik kidnaps Christine in the hopes that she will come to love him, and she is beginning to have feelings for him when she unmasks him and sees him in his true state. Erik is jealous and humiliated, but he allows Christine to go, after she had, in fact, agreed to marry him in order to save her beloved Raoul. All the Phantom asks is that Christine bury him when he dies. She gives him his first kiss, and her promise, and she fulfills this promise three weeks later when Erik dies of a broken heart. Though he is a tortured soul, whose self-loathing has rendered him capable of deceptions and murders, our poor Erik is also a victim of Fate’s random arrows. In the end, he rises above his baser self and allows Christine to leave and his other intended victims to live. There is nothing left for him but to die. If all of this is just too much to take on for a name for a little child – rest assured. In the novel, we are told, “Erik” is not the Phantom’s real birth name, but one assumed later.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ERIK

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Erik


Popular Songs

ON ERIK

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Erik


Famous People

NAMED ERIK

Erik (multiple Scandinavian royalties)
Erik Morales (boxer)
Érik Comas (racecar driver)
Erik Watts (wrestler)
Erik Santos (singer/actor)
Erik Erikson (psychologist who came up with the term "identity crisis")
Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ERIK

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Erik

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ERIK

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Erik