Erika (given name)
The given name Erika, Erica, Ericka, or Ereka is a feminine form of Eric, deriving from the Old Norse name Eiríkr (or Eríkr in Eastern Scandinavia due to monophthongization). The first element, ei- is derived either from the older Proto-Norse *aina(z), meaning "one, alone, unique", as in the form Æinrikr explicitly, or from *aiwa(z) "long time, eternity". The second element -ríkr stems either from *ríks "king, ruler" (cf. Gothic reiks) or from the therefrom derived *ríkijaz "kingly, powerful, rich". The name is thus usually taken to mean "sole ruler, monarch" or "eternal ruler, ever powerful".
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrɪkə/ Italian: [ˈɛːrika] German: [ˈeːʁika] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Old Norse |
| Meaning | "eternal ruler", "ever powerful" (Germanic) 恵 "favour, benefit", 梨 "pear"/里 "village", 香 "fragrance" (Japanese) |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Eric, Erik, Frederica, Frederick |
It is a common name in many Western societies. It is also a popular given name for women in Japan (even though its origin has nothing in common with the Nordic roots of the Western version). Erica is also the name of a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, commonly known as "heaths" or "heathers" in English, and is the Latin word for "heather".