Eric
Pronounced EH1 R IH0 K (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1970
- 145 years in use
- 3 spellings
How popular is Eric?
Eric is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 1,143,255 children — the 26th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 49% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1970, when 27,748 children were given it.
Three other spellings are counted in that total — Erik, Erick and Erich — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Eric and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Erik
- Erick
- Erich
Characteristics
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- EH1 R IH0 K
- Stress pattern:
- 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Eric
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Eric
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Eric?
- Eric ranks 26th among boys' names in US records, with 1,143,255 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 42,305.
- Is Eric a unisex name?
- No. Eric is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Eric most popular?
- 1970, when 27,748 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- How else is Eric spelled?
- Erik, Erick, Erich. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.