British Baby Names

Name of the Week: Eric

Origin:

Eric is the Anglicised spelling of Scandinavian Erik, the younger form of the Old Norse Eiríkr.  The first element is either the Old Norse einn "one, alone, unique," or ei "ever, always, eternity." The second element derives from ríkr "ruler, mighty."

Usage:

Erik was prolific in Scandinavia from the early Middle Ages onwards. Dating from the 9th century, there were no fewer than six Danish kings, five Norwegian kings and fourteen Swedish kings to bear the name Erik.  Some of the early Viking raiders brought the name with the over to Britain — both Eric "Bloodaxe" Haraldsson (d. 954) and Eric Haakonsson (960s–1020s) were not only governors/kings of Norway, but also the Earl of Northumberland. There are two Erics recorded in the Domesday Book as being landholders in 1066 in Lincolshire (a fortified Viking borough up until the Norman invasion). Both of these men displaced from their landholdings by Norman nobles and only one Eric is recorded as a landowner in 1086. This displacement is symbolic of what happened to the name Eric in Britain in general: it was only in limited usage in the first place, and did not survive the Norman Conquest.  It was revived in Scotland from at least the 17th century as Eric, Erick and Arick, most likely because of the close links and proximity Scotland had to Scandinavia at the time. Though it was used in small numbers before, it only came back into popular use in England and Wales in the 19th century. This was perhaps partly inspired by Frederic Farrar's highly successful novel Eric: or Little by Little (1858) though Eric also met the Victorian fashion for medieval names.  Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Even by the 1881 UK census, Eric was still predominantly used in Scotland, especially when we look at population per 100,000 people. It is particularly notable that it was most common in the North coastal areas of Scotland which have always had strong Scandinavian ties.  Ranks and Births in England and Wales:   Rank Births 1840: 1850s: 1860: 1870: 1880: 1890: 1900: 1904: 1914: 1924: 1934: 1944: 1954: 1964: 1974: -- -- -- #264 #181 #90 #47 #35 #27 #18 #27 #39 #62 #88 -- 0 births 0 births 4 births 15 births 76 births 312 births 1347 births Despite Ferrar's novel in 1858, Eric didn't start to rise significantly until the 1890s when it reached the top 100 for the first time, rapidly rising into the turn of the century. It peaked in the 1920s and remained in the top 100 until 1974.  In Scotland, Eric ranked #78 in 1900 and was #42 in 1950. It fell out of the Scottish top 100 in 1975.  click to enlarge From 1996 to 2006, Eric's usage remained remarkably consistent in England and Wales going from #280 to #320 with no more than 123 births in any given year. It began to rise from 2009 onwards; slowly at first, but then rising more steeply from #235 (219 births) in 2013 to #189 (301 births) in 2014 which also coincides with the year that Simon Cowell named his son Eric.  In 2017, Eric ranked #127 (456 births) in England and Wales and #352 (10 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

Royalty: * Jorund and Erik, legendary brothers who ruled Sweden in the 5th century. * Erik Björnsson, semi-legendary 9th century king of Sweden. * Erik Refilsson, semi-legendary 9th century king of Sweden. * Erik Anundsson, semi-legendary 9th century king of Sweden. * Eric "Bloodaxe" Haraldsson (d. 954), ruled as as King of Norway and twice as Earl of Northumbria. * Eric the Victorious (d.995), king of Sweden. * Eric Haakonsson (d.c.1020), Governor of Norway and Earl of Northumbria. * Eric and Eric, two contenders for the kingship of Sweden around 1066–67. * Eric I of Denmark (d.1103), king of Denmark. * Eric II of Denmark (d.1137), king of Denmark. * Eric III of Denmark (d.1146), king of Denmark. * Eric IX of Sweden (d.1160), king of Sweden, also called Saint Eric, Eric the Lawgiver, Eric the Saint, or Eric the Holy. * Eric X of Sweden (d.1216), king of Sweden. * Eric XI of Sweden (d.1250), king of Sweden. * Eric VI of Denmark (d.1250), king of Denmark. * Eric V of Denmark (d.1286), king of Denmark. * Eric II of Norway (d. 1299) king of Norway. * Eric VI of Denmark (d.1319), king of Denmark. * Eric XII of Sweden (d.1359), king of Sweden. * Eric III of Norway (d.1459), king of Norway, Denmark (as Eric VII) and Sweden (Eric XIII). * Eric XIV of Sweden (d.1577), king of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1568. History: * Erik "The Red" Thorvaldsson (950-1003), Norse explorer who founded Greenland. * Erik Acharius (1757-1819), Swedish botanist. * Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783-1847), Swedish writer, historian, and composer. * Erik Gustaf Boström (1842-1907), Prime Minister of Sweden. * Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864-1931), Swedish Nobel Prize winning poet. * Erik Ivar Fredholm (1866-1927), Swedish mathematician. * Erik Satie (1866-1925), French composer. * Erik Jorpes (1894-1973), Finnish-born Swedish physician and biochemist. * Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864-1931), Swedish Nobel Prize winning poet. * Erik Erikson (1902-1994), German-American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst. * Eric Blair aka George Orwell (1903-1950), British novelist. * Eric Morecambe (1926-1984), British comedian. Contemporary: * Eric Sykes, CBE (1923–2012), British radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor, and director. * Eric "Ricky" Nelson (1940-1985), American actor, singer/songwriter and musician. * Eric Idle (born 1943), British comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer * Eric Clapton (born 1945), British guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. * Eric Roberts (born 1956), American actor. * Eric McCormack (born 1963), American actor. * Eric Benét (born 1966), American singer-songwriter and actor. * Eric Cantona (born 1966), French footballer. * Eric Bana (born 1968), Australian actor. * Eric Mabius (born 1971), American actor. Literature and Other Media: * Erik, the titular character in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. * Prince Eric, character in the Disney movie, The Little Mermaid. * Erik the Red, fictional character in the Marvel Comics comic book universe. * Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto in the Marvel Universe. * Eric Matthews, a main character from the TV series Boy Meets World and its spinoff Girl Meets World. * Eric Northman, the love interest of Sookie Stackhouse in the Southern Vampire Mysteries novels and the TV series True Blood. * Eric Cartman, one of the four main characters in the TV series South Park. * Eric Jackson, character in The 100.

Variants:

Erik (Scandinavian), Eryk (Polish), Erich (German), Erick, Aric(k) (Scottish)

Pronunciation:

EH-rik [key]

Possible diminutives:

Erry, Rick, Ricky

Sibling Names:

Edith     Bonnie     Ada     Mabel     Betsy     Winnie    Rupert     Stanley     Ralph     Monty     Reggie     Chester

Name Lists:

Resurrected Retro   Short and Sweet

 

If you like Eric you may also like:   Ezra, Lloyd, Ernest, Emeric, Glenn, Broderic, Vincent, Wilfred, Leonard, Frank

Thanks to Holly for requesting this name.  

 

Name Help: A Sister for Azalea

 

Octavia is expecting her second daughter soon. 

Octavia writes: "Our first daughter is called Azalea Blaise. As I have an unusual name I am keen for something no one else will have. My husband is half French (hence Blaise) and I am half Italian. 

Names we have been considering are:

Anoushka - just like the name
Aurora -  too many Rrr’s
Anaïs - quite like this at the mo
Orsina
Ayala 
Seraphina 
Phaedra 
Hera 
Uma 
Margaux - was a front runner 
Raven 
Thea 
Nyx 
Lolita
Calixta 
Venetia
Dominique 
Zena 

The last two were actually names of my mothers best friends who were great influences in my life but also happen to be very unusual. 

Names vetoed are: 

Aria - loved this but has become super popular recently. 

Freya- husbands suggestion but too common again and not strong enough. I imagine a Freya to be a quite little mouse not a feisty (A is a character!)

Orsina- was tempting for a while but a bit harsh the Or is not that pretty 

Losaria- I found this in butterfly names as started looking a bit left field as we couldn't agree. I love it and [husband] wasn’t having it as technically is not a name. I had to let it go so I suppose it does need to be a name that isn’t made up. 

Middle name: Bijou. Pretty set on that as first scan showed the diamond ring effect and also French and cute. 

I am keen for something pretty, strong and ultimately that no one will have. Don’t mind origin. I feel Azalea Blaise is a tough one to follow."

 

※    ※    ※    ※

Wow! I love your list. I got a degree in Ancient History so to see so many underused ancient names gives me a thrill. 

I agree that Azalea Blaise is a tough one to follow, but you've got a great -- and meaningful -- middle name already lined up with Bijou, and there are plenty of bold but perfectly usable name that will compliment Azalea on equal terms. 

 

In alphabetical order: 

Celandine – With a sweet French style, Celandine has a floral heritage to match Azalea. The name Celandine derives from the Ancient Greek chelidon "swallow (bird)" as the ancients though that the plant flowered when the swallows arrived. 

Clemency –  A virtue name meaning "mercy" and "gentleness" which was used by the Puritans but now has a sweet underused vintage style alongside sisters Amity, Virtue, Temperance and Verily. The French Clementine also derives from this same source. 

Corisande – A medieval French name of chivalric romance and 19th century literature. Renowned for her beauty and culture, "La Belle Corisande" was the nickname of Diana de Gramont, Countess of Guiche (1554-1621). A similar sounding medieval gem, borne by queens, is Melisande, a sister to Millicent. 

Cressida – A Shakespearean name which derives ultimately from an Ancient Greek name meaning "golden."

Dulcibel(la) – A medieval name composed of dulcis "sweet" and bella "beautiful." By the 16th century it was used as a poetic term meaning "sweetheart" and its use as a name continued into the 20th century. 

Elara – A melodic name which derives from a princess in Greek mythology. One of the moons of Jupiter is named after her. 

Eriska – Like Skye and Iona, Eriska is a pretty Scottish island which is known as the "water nymph island."

Eulalie – The sweet French form of Eulalia -- an Ancient Greek name meaning "sweetly-speaking" (Eulalia itself is great, but a bit too close in sound when it rhymes with Azalea). Other great Greek Eu- names include Eumelia "melody" , Euthalia "flowering, blossoming" (also the name of a butterfly) and Euphrasia/Euphrasie "good cheer."

Evadne – A lyrical Ancient Greek name, borne by a mythological water nymph, which means "very pure, very holy." 

Idony – Back in the 14th century, Idony was a pretty common name in Britain. It was just as common as Anne, and more popular than Mary! The name is the anglicised form of Iðunn, the Viking goddess of the Spring. 

Ismeria – An elegant medieval relic which was the name of a legendary saint.The French form, Ismérie, is a little more common in France than Ismeria is in Britain, but both are evocatively lovely. 

Jessamine / Jessamy – Both Jessamine and Jessamy are poetic forms of Jasmine which have a sweet Victorian darling feel. 

Juno – As Hera is on your list, perhaps you would consider her Roman counterpart, Juno. It has a sleek and modern sound, even though her roots are bold and ancient. Juno is also the name of a butterfly. 

Lelia –  An Italian name descended from the Roman family name Laelia. Laelia is also the name of an orchid found in Central America which gives a subtle link with Azalea. 

Liliosa – Another name with a subtle floral link is this Late Latin name which derives from the Latin lilium "lily." Saint Liliosa was an Iberian Christian woman martyred in Córdoba in the 9th century. The name has been used in Spain since, but also has a great pan-European flair. 

Mariska – A sleek Dutch and Hungarian form of Maria which shares a similar sound and drama of Anoushka, but without repeating the "A" initial. 

Mireya – Not uncommon in Spain, Mireya (spelled Mireia in Catalan) is a sleek and usable gem. Like the French Mireille, all three forms come from the Provençal name Mirèio, most likely derived from the Latin mirar "to see, to admire,"

Meliora – Derived from the Latin word melior "better," Meliora was used in Britain and the Continent in the Middle Ages and survived in the South West of England into the 18th century. 

Parisa – A sweet Persian name which means "fairy-like." 

Sunniva – Once the Anglo-Saxon name Sunngifu "sun gift," Sunniva was adopted by the Vikings and is now a cool Scandinavian staple. 

Thessaly – Like Venetia, Lydia, Petra, Sabina, Olympia and Alexandria, Thessaly is a name taken from ancient topography. Thessaly was a major region in ancient Greece, homeland of the mythological heroes Achilles and Jason. Other ancient placenames-turned-first names worth considering include Larissa, Megara, Illyria, Edessa, Messina and Salona. 

Viveca – Also spelled Viveka, Viveca is a Scandinavian name derived from the German Wibke which was a short form of names starting with Wig- "war." It is reminiscent of the Latin viva "alive." 

Zenaida – Zena is a name of a beloved woman in your life, so perhaps Zenaida would be a great way to incorporate her name. Zenaida was a (ahead of her time) doctor in the 1st century, turned saint. The name was Greek in origin ultimately deriving from the great god Zeus. 

 

 

I hope this has been of use. Good luck with settling on the perfect name!