Herrick
An English surname most likely from an old personal name, ultimately tied to the name Eric/Erik.
The #2,940 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,303 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Herrick is generally treated as a surname from an old personal name, not from an occupation or place. The strongest historical explanations connect it with Eric/Erik, a Norse name meaning something like "sole ruler" or "ever-ruler"; medieval spellings such as Eyrik, Eyrick, and Heyricke point in that direction. Some older writers also linked the family to a legendary ancestor called "Erick the Forester," but that story is best treated as tradition rather than secure history.
History
The name appears in several older English spellings, especially in families from the East Midlands. Early modern writers, including Dean Swift in the tradition quoted by Lower, helped keep alive the idea of an ancient Leicestershire line. In later surname dictionaries, Herrick is usually grouped with other forms derived from Eric/Erik rather than as an independent English word.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The poet Robert Herrick made the surname famous in literary history, which is one reason it remains especially recognizable today.
From the historical record
“Oodsci'oft. HERRICK. This name was formerly spelt Eyr}'k, Eyrik, Eyrick, and Heyricke. Dean Swift, whose father married a lady of this family, informs us that " there is a tradition that the most ancient family of the Erieks derive lineage from Erick the Forester, a great commander, who raised an army to oppose the…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom