Etymology

eric

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Today it means: A fine paid as compensation for violent crimes. Full definition →

Irish éiric
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eric · noun1

  1. Irish · derived froméiric
  2. English todayeric

From Irish éiric.

Eric · proper noun2

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*rīks“king”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*Aizarīkijaz
  3. Old Norse · derived fromEirríkr
  4. Old English · inherited fromEoric
  5. Middle English · inherited fromEric
  6. English todayEric

From Middle English Eric, from Old English Eoric, from Old Norse Eirríkr, Eiríkr (from ei (“always, eternal”, see aye) + ríkr (“ruler”)), or from Proto-Germanic *Aizarīkijaz (from *aizō (“honor”) + *rīkijaz (“ruler”)). Less likely from einn (“sole, alone”) + ríkr (“ruler”), from Proto-Germanic *rīks (“king”, cognate to Latin rēx and Gaulish *rīx). The name was in use in Anglo-Saxon Britain, reinforced by Scandinavian settlers before the Norman Conquest. Compare Danish Erik, German Erich. Possible doublet of Euric.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Germanic*rīks all →

richOberonReiff

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.