Eric
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Chobot
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{{Infobox Given Name Revised
| name = Eric
| image=
| imagesize=
| caption=
| pronunciation=''EH rik''
| gender = male
| meaning ="ever ruler"
| derived = Eiríkr
| region =
| language = Scandinavian
| name day = [[May 18]]<br />(Sweden & Norway)
| origin = Old Norse
| footnotes =
}}
The [[given name]] '''Eric''' is of [[Scandinavian language|Scandinavian]] origin. It is derived from the name Ei(r)ríkr, meaning "eternal ruler," compounded from the words ''ei(r)'' "eternal" (cognate to English ''aye'' meaning ''always'' and Latin ''aevum,'' among others) and ''ríkr'',"ruler" in [[Old Norse]] (cognate to ''-rix'' in Celtic names and the Latin noun ''rex,'' among others). The most common historical form in Scandinavia is Erik. In [[Norwegian people|Norway]], an older form of the name is ''Eirik'' that is still seen, but Erik is more commonly used in Norway today as it is in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. In Finland, the form ''Erkki'' is also used. The modern [[Icelandic people|Icelandic]] version is Eiríkur.<ref>[http://www.behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=eric Behind The Name]</ref><ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=eric Etymology Online]</ref><ref>[http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ United States Social Security Database]</ref>
Although the name was in use in Anglo-Saxon Britain, its use was reinforced by Scandinavian settlers arriving before the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Invasion]]. It was an uncommon name in England until the Middle Ages, when it gained popularity, and finally became a common name in the 19th century. This was partly because of the publishing of the novel ''[[Eric, or, Little by Little]]'' by [[Frederick William Farrer]] in 1858. The ''Erik'' spelling, although traditional in Scandinavia, is increasingly common among Latinos in the United States, partly because of famous Latinos such as Erik Estrada. ''Erick'' is another spelling used in the United States, which may also be a variant of the name [[Frederick]]<ref>[http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Erick]</ref>. This spelling is predominately used by African-Americans, such as author Erick Gray and hip-hop artist [[Erick Sermon]]. ''Eric'' is used in French, and in Germany ''Erich'' and ''Erik'' are both used.
The official [[name day]] for Erik (Eric) is May 18 in [[Sweden]] and [[Norway]].
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{given name|nocat}}
[[Category:Norwegian masculine given names]]
[[Category:Swedish masculine given names]]
[[Category:Scandinavian masculine given names]]
[[cs:Erik]]
[[da:Erik]]
[[de:Erich]]
[[eo:Eriko (persona nomo)]]
[[fr:Éric]]
[[ko:에리크]]
[[is:Eiríkur]]
[[hu:Erik]]
[[nl:Erik]]
[[new:एरिच]]
[[ja:エリック]]
[[no:Eirik]]
[[nn:Eirik]]
[[pl:Eryk]]
[[pt:Eric]]
[[ru:Эрик]]
[[sk:Erik]]
[[fi:Erik]]
[[sv:Erik]]
[[vi:Erich]]
[[zh:埃里克]]