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".

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".

People with the name

 * Érika Alcocer Luna (born 1974), Mexican singer, winner of the second generation of La Academia
 * Erika Alexander (born 1969), American actress
 * Erica Alfridi (born 1968), Italian race walker
 * Erika Anderson, American actress
 * Erika Araki (born 1984), Japanese national volleyball team captain
 * Erykah Badu (born 1971), American singer-songwriter, record producer, activist, and actress
 * Erica Banks, American rapper
 * Erica Bartolina (born 1980), American pole vaulter
 * Erika Billeter (1927–2011), German-born Swiss curator, art historian, writer, and museum director
 * Erica Blasberg (1984–2010), American professional golfer
 * Erica Bougard (born 1993), American heptathlete
 * Erika Buenfil (born 1963), Mexican actress
 * Erika von Brockdorff (1911–1943), German resistance fighter during the Second World War
 * Erica Campbell, (born 1972), American singer most famous from Mary Mary
 * Erika de Casier (born 1989 or 1990), Danish singer, songwriter, and record producer
 * Erika Christensen (born 1982), American actress
 * Érika Coimbra (born 1980), Brazilian volleyball player
 * Erica Cornejo, Argentine ballet dancer
 * Erika Cosby, American painter and daughter of Bill Cosby
 * Erika Costell (born 1993), American YouTuber, model, and singer
 * Erika Cremer (1900–1996), German physicist
 * Erika Cuellar (born 1978), Bolivian biologist
 * Erika Dickerson-Despenza, American playwright
 * Erika Doss (fl. 1980s–2020s), professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame
 * Erica Durance (born 1978), Canadian actress
 * Erika Eleniak (born 1969), American actress and Playboy Playmate
 * Erika Ender (born 1974), Panamanian singer, songwriter and actress
 * Erika Fisch (1934–2021), German athlete
 * Erika Fuchs (1906–2005), German translator
 * Erica Garner (1990–2017), American activist
 * Erica Gavel (born 1991), Canadian wheelchair basketball player
 * Erika González (born 1972), Mexican freestyle swimmer
 * Erika Hamden, American astrophysicist and Assistant Professor
 * Erika Hansen (born 1970), American swimmer
 * Erika Harlacher (born 1990), American voice actress
 * Erika Harold (born 1980), American attorney, politician, and 2003 Miss America
 * Erika Henningsen (born 1992), American actress
 * Erika Heynatz (born 1975), Australian model, actress, singer and television personality
 * Erica Hill (born 1976), American journalist
 * Erica Hinckson, New Zealand professor of sport and exercise science
 * Erica Jarder (born 1986), Swedish long jumper
 * Erika Jayne, dance and electronica artist, actress and television personality
 * Erica Johansson (born 1974), Swedish long jumper
 * Erica Jong (born 1942), American author
 * Erika Kaljusaar (born 1956), Estonian actress
 * Erika Kinsey (born 1988), Swedish high jumper
 * Erika Kirpu (born 1992), Estonian épée fencer
 * Erika Liebman (1738–1803), Swedish poet
 * Erika deLone, (born 1972), retired American professional tennis player
 * Erica Lindbeck, American voice actress
 * Erica Luttrell (born 1982), Canadian voice actress
 * Erika Mann (1905–1969), German writer, the daughter of Thomas Mann
 * Erika Mann (politician) (born 1950), German politician
 * Erika Marín-Spiotta, Spanish-born biogeochemist and ecosystem ecologist
 * Erika Mitchell is the real name of author E. L. James (born 1963)
 * Erica Morningstar (born 1989), Canadian swimmer
 * Erika Nara, Japanese Paralympic swimmer
 * Erica Nego, beauty queen, model, and businesswoman
 * Érika Olivera (born 1976), Chilean marathon runner
 * Erica Packer (born 1975), Australian singer and model
 * Erica Parsons (1998–2011), American child abuse and murder victim
 * Erika Pluhar (born 1939), Austrian actress, singer and author
 * Erika Raum (born 1972), Canadian violinist
 * Erica Rose (born 1982), American long-distance swimmer
 * Erika Rudolf (1954–2009), Hungarian high jumper
 * Erica Sakurazawa (born 1963), Japanese manga author
 * Érika or Érika Cristiano dos Santos (born 1988), Brazilian footballer
 * Erika Sawajiri (沢尻 エリカ, born 1986), Japanese gravure model, singer and actress
 * Erika Schmutz (born 1973), Canadian former Wheelchair rugby player and power engineer
 * Erika Slezak (born 1946), American actress best known for her long-running role as Viki Davidson on One Life to Live
 * Érika de Souza (born 1982), Brazilian basketball player
 * Erika Steinbach (born 1943), German politician
 * Erica Sullivan (swimmer) (born 2000), American swimmer
 * Erika Toda (戸田 恵梨香, born 1988), Japanese actress
 * Erika Umeda (born 1991), Japanese singer and model, former member of Cute
 * Erika Vázquez (born 1983), Spanish footballer
 * Erika Wendt (1917–2003), German WWII spy
 * Erika Yazawa (born 1990), Japanese gravure model, actress and member of Idoling!!!
 * Erica Yuen (born 1980), Hong Kong politician, actress, and presenter
 * Erika Zavaleta, American ecologist and evolutionary biologist

Fictional characters

 * Erika, the eponymous character of the German marching song "Erika"
 * Erika (Pokémon), a character in the video game series Pokémon
 * Erika (Underworld), a character in the film Underworld
 * Erika, a character in the anime series Tōshō Daimos
 * Erika, the titular pauper of Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper
 * Erica Ainsworth, a character in the manga series Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya
 * Erika Amano, a character in the manga series A Couple of Cuckoos
 * Erika Aoyama (青山 絵里香), a character in the anime series Anime-Gataris
 * Erika Berger, a character in the novel series Millennium
 * Erika Chiba (千葉 エリカ), a character in the light novel series The Irregular at Magic High School
 * Erica Davidson, a character in the television series Prisoner
 * Erica Farrell, a character in the media franchise Degrassi
 * Erica Fontaine, a character in the media franchise Sakura Taisen
 * Erika Ford, a character in the television series Friends
 * Erika Furudo (古戸 ヱリカ), a character in the visual novel series Umineko When They Cry
 * Erica Goldberg, a character in the television series The Goldbergs
 * Erica Hahn, a character in the television series Grey's Anatomy
 * Erica Hartmann, a character in the media franchise Strike Witches
 * Erika Itsumi (逸見 エリカ), a character in the anime series Girls und Panzer
 * Erika Kurumi (来海 えりか) (a.k.a Cure Marine), a major character in the anime series HeartCatch PreCure!
 * Hayasaka Erika (早坂 えりか), a character in the webcomic Megatokyo
 * Erica Kane, a character in the soap opera All My Children
 * Erika Kohut, protagonist of the novel The Piano Teacher
 * Erika Sendo (千堂 瑛里華), a character in the visual novel Fortune Arterial
 * Erica Reyes, a character in the television series Teen Wolf
 * Erica Strange, a character in the television series Being Erica
 * Erica Sinclair, a character in the Netflix Series Stranger Things
 * Erika Shinohara (篠原 エリカ), a character in the manga series Wolf Girl and Black Prince
 * Erika Shiragami (白神 英理加) a character from the movie Godzilla vs Biollante
 * Erika Suzuki (鈴木 エリカ), a character in the anime series Sakura Quest
 * Erika Takatou (高遠 エリカ), a character in the anime series Ginga e Kickoff!!
 * Erika Usami (宇佐美 えり香), a character in the anime series Tsuritama
 * Erica Yurken, protagonist of the novel Hating Alison Ashley
 * Erica Tselishcheva, candy wrapper collector and piano virtuoso