Find out how popular the last name Eric is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Eric.

Eric, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Eric surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eric in America

Eric is the 57372nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eric surname appeared 355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Eric.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eric to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Eric

The surname Eric originated in Scandinavia, specifically in the regions of Sweden and Norway. It first emerged during the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse word "eirikr," which means "eternal ruler" or "ever-powerful."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Eric can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which are prose narratives that recount the lives and adventures of notable figures from the Viking era. These sagas, written in the 13th and 14th centuries, mention individuals with the name Eric who were often portrayed as brave warriors or influential leaders.

In the Heimskringla, a collection of sagas written by the renowned Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), there are multiple references to rulers and chieftains bearing the name Eric. One notable example is Eric the Victorious (c. 945-995), a Norwegian king who reigned from 957 to 983 and was known for his military achievements.

The surname Eric also appears in medieval Scandinavian records and manuscripts, such as the Flateyjarbok, a 14th-century Icelandic manuscript that contains various sagas and historical texts. This manuscript mentions individuals with the name Eric who were involved in significant events or played important roles in Scandinavian history.

Another notable figure with the surname Eric was Eric IX of Sweden (c. 1120-1161), who ruled as King of Sweden from 1156 until his death. He was known for his efforts to consolidate royal power and his conflicts with the Church.

In England, the surname Eric can be traced back to the Danelaw, a region in eastern and northern England that was under Scandinavian rule during the Viking Age. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, includes references to individuals with the name Eric, likely of Scandinavian descent.

As the Vikings and Scandinavians settled in various parts of Europe and beyond, the surname Eric began to spread and take on different spellings and variations. For example, in Germany, the name took the form "Erich," while in France, it became "Eric" or "Éric."

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Eric, such as Eric the Red (c. 950-c. 1003), a Norwegian explorer who is believed to be the first European to have settled in Greenland. Another famous figure is Eric Bloodaxe (c. 885-954), a Norwegian king who ruled parts of Northumbria in England during the 10th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eric

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Eric.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Eric was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Eric has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Eric was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Eric, please contact us.

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