The given name Eric is derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr. The first element, ei- is derived from the older Proto-Norse *ainaz meaning "one" or "alone".Entries ÆiríkR, Æi- in Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (2002) by Lena Peterson at the Swedish Institute for Linguistics and Heritage (Institutet för språk och folkminnen). The second element -ríkr either derives from *rík(a)z meaning "ruler" or "prince" (cf. Gothic reiks) or from an even older Proto-Germanic *ríkiaz which meant "powerful" and "rich".Entries ÆiríkR, RíkR and -ríkR in Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (2002) by Lena Peterson at the Swedish Institute for Linguistics and Heritage (Institutet för språk och folkminnen).

The most common spelling in Scandinavia is Erik. In Norway, an older form of the name is Eirik is also commonly used . In Finland, the form Erkki is also used. The modern Icelandic version is Eiríkr.

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.

The Israeli name Arik, officially a shortening of "Ariel" or "Arye" and espcially known as the nickname of former PM Ariel Sharon, is often considered to be actually an attempted Hebrew emulation of the European "Eric"

See also

• Eriksgata