Erik is the Scandinavian spelling of Eric, from the Old Norse Eiríkr, which means "eternal ruler" or "ever powerful". Erik the Red, the Viking who settled Greenland, is the most famous bearer, and the name is still a classic in Sweden, Norway and Germany. In the United States Erik ranked number 143 in 2000 and has slipped gradually to number 546 among boys' names in 2025.