Elric
Masculine · “elf ruler”
Elric is an Old English name meaning elf ruler, and Anglo-Saxon naming used elves freely — they were dangerous powers whose favor was worth having.
How old is the name Elric?
Elric first appears in US birth records in 1918 — 107 years ago. The typical Elric is a kid of about 12 — this name's wave is very recent. About 600 people named Elric are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Elric most popular?
Elric peaked in 1983, reaching #3411 nationally. Today it ranks #4249, 838 places below that high. See the whole 1983 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Aelfric to Elric
The story of Elric
Aelfric of Eynsham was an abbot around the year 1000 and one of the most accomplished prose writers in Old English; several others of the name held high office. The elves in the naming were not the small charming figures of later folklore — they were supernatural beings capable of causing illness, and having one on your side was worth naming for. The name reappears in modern use largely through fantasy fiction.
Meaning
elf ruler
From Old English aelf, an elf, and ric, a ruler; Aelfric was a common Anglo-Saxon name. The same first element gives Alfred, elf counsel, and Aelfgifu, elf gift.
How the name formed
- Aelfric
- Elric
Related forms: Ælfric · Alfred
Pronouncing Elric
EL-rik
Two syllables, first stressed. There is little variation.
Nicknames for Elric
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1918
- Most boys named
- 201933 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3411reached in 1983
- Change vs 2024
- +14.3%24 in 2025, from 21
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Elric in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ælfric in Old English — same name
- Alfred in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas.
Elrics among us
people named Elric are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 71,170 born in 2025 was named Elric
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Jona test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Elric's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Jona climbed just as high around 1925, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Jona's path sketches the road Elric is walking now.
Elric sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Elric beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Elric in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled Old English meaning with both elements clearly attested.
- Rick is a complete short form in its own right.
- Read correctly on sight by every English speaker.
- A well-known fantasy character carries the name, which is a strong association.
- The elves in the original are not the elves modern readers picture.
- It is close to Eric and Aldric, which are separate names.
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What they receive
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Elric
Masculine · #4249 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Elrics are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Elric are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Elric in 2025?
- Elric ranks #4249 among US boy names in 2025, with 24 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Elric?
- About 1 in every 71,170 US boys born in 2025 was named Elric — 24 in all.
- Will my child share the name Elric with classmates?
- Elric will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Elric
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Guadalupe#4249 · Denny#4249 · Hughes#4249 · Erling#4249 · Rodrick#4249 · Ron#4249 · Corvin#4249 · Wright#4249
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Elric? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Elric and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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