2000
#57,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Eric
Old Norse surname meaning "ever ruler" or "eternal ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 760 Americans carry the last name Eric. That puts it at #36,342 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 450,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eric surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Eric with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
760
1 in 450,993
Census rank
#36,342
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
663
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 663 bearers of the surname Eric in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36342nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eric, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eric
Among Census respondents with the surname Eric, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Eric bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Eric surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White42.8% · 284
- Black or African American31.7% · 210
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.3% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 72
- Two or more races2.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eric
Eric appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#57,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 355
+27 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 613 places
2020
#36,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 663
+308 bearers (+86.8%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 21,030 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,985 | 328 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,372 | 355 | 0.12 | +27 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 613 places |
| 2020 | #36,342 | 663 | 0.22 | +308 bearers (+86.8%) | Up 21,030 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Eric surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #57,372 | #36,342 | 36.7% |
| Count | 355 | 663 | 86.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.22 | 84.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eric bearers went from 355 to 663 (+86.8% change). The surname moved up 21,030 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,372 to #36,342.
FAQ
Eric surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eric?
Name Census estimates that about 760 living Americans carry the surname Eric. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 450,993 residents.
How common is Eric?
Eric ranks #36,342 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 663 people with the surname Eric. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (760), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Eric.
Has Eric become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eric went from 355 recorded bearers to 663. That is an increase of 308 (+86.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #57,372 to #36,342.
What does the Census say about the background of Eric?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eric, the largest self-reported group is White at 42.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Eric in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.8% (284 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eric appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (42.8%), Black (31.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Eric (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Eric mean?
Old Norse surname meaning "ever ruler" or "eternal ruler." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Eric (0.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Eric?
You can see how common the surname Eric is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.