Eric
Boy name · #273 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Eric? In official American birth records, Eric has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Eric ranks #273 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 1,256 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #138, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,433 boys born in 2025 was named Eric.
The 145-year story
Eric first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 23,571 boys were named Eric — good for #18 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Eric per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Eric against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Eric in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Eric is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Eric is most common
Geography matters for names, and Eric is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Eric is most common in MS (1.5 per 1,000), LA (1.4 per 1,000), ID (1.3 per 1,000), WA (1.3 per 1,000), SC (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.9 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Eric is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Eric
Statistically, parents drawn to Eric tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cedric, Brian, Erik, Kevin, and Andre.
CedricBrianErikKevinAndreWadePaulMark
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Eric | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,256 | #273 |
| 2024 | 1,406 | #252 |
| 2023 | 1,547 | #227 |
| 2022 | 1,561 | #229 |
| 2021 | 1,790 | #213 |
| 2020 | 1,917 | #198 |
| 2019 | 2,205 | #176 |
| 2018 | 2,410 | #160 |
| 2017 | 2,782 | #143 |
| 2016 | 2,930 | #142 |
| 2015 | 3,046 | #138 |
| 2014 | 3,323 | #122 |
| 2013 | 3,265 | #118 |
| 2012 | 3,637 | #107 |
| 2011 | 3,751 | #104 |
| 2010 | 4,201 | #95 |
| 2009 | 4,646 | #95 |
| 2008 | 5,377 | #86 |
| 2007 | 5,959 | #83 |
| 2006 | 6,232 | #77 |
| 2005 | 6,697 | #66 |
| 2004 | 7,133 | #61 |
| 2003 | 7,787 | #56 |
| 2002 | 7,928 | #52 |
| 2001 | 8,559 | #44 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Eric?
In official American birth records, the name Eric first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 10 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Eric a popular boy name?
Eric ranked #273 among boys in 2025 with 1,256 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #138.
When was the name Eric most popular?
Eric peaked in 1970, when 23,571 American boys received the name (ranked #18 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Eric?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,433 newborn American boys was named Eric. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.