Erik is a distinctive choice, ranked #408 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Erik in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2025
#408
US Rank #546
Ad
About the Name Erik
Erik is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 72 places over five years. Its high point was #310 in 2021, and it now sits at #418. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Erik is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Erik in their class.
In the US it sits at #476 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Erik Prince — Erik Dean Prince is an American businessman, who is the founder of private military contractor Blackwater.
Erik the Red — Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red (Norwegian: Eirik den røde), was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first European settlement in Greenland.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Erik
Unlikely. With around 99 UK babies named Erik per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Erik in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Erik has been fairly steady, ranked #408 in 2025 against #346 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #310 in 2021.
Erik is more popular in the UK (#418) than in the US (#476). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Erik include: Erik Per Sullivan, Erik Prince and Erik Jensen (writer). Short summaries for each appear below.
Erik appears in the US top 500 at #476 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
99
UK babies named Erik (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 62 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Erik
Almost certainly the only Erik in the class
Ad
UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Erik
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Erik Thorvaldsson, known as Erik the Red (Norwegian: Eirik den røde), was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first European settlement in Greenland.
Erik Jensen is an Australian journalist and author, known for his 2014 biography of artist Adam Cullen, Acute Misfortune: The Life and Death of Adam Cullen, and as founding editor of The Saturday Paper.
Erik LaRay Harvey is an American actor known for his roles as Dunn Purnsley in Boardwalk Empire, Willis Stryker / Diamondback in Luke Cage, and his role in The Charnel House.