Eric

Eric is a Germanic name derived from the Old Norse form Eiríkr, composed of the elements ei, meaning "ever" or "always," and ríkr, meaning "ruler" or "king," giving the name the overall sense of "eternal ruler." It was borne by several Scandinavian kings and most famously by the Norse explorer Eiríkr rauði, known in English as Eric the Red, who led the first European settlement of Greenland around the tenth century. The name spread throughout medieval Europe with Norse influence and remains widely used across English-speaking and Scandinavian countries today. Closely related forms include Eiríkr, Erik, Eirik, Éric, Èric, and the feminine variant Erica.