This is the 6120th most frequent French word.
erik
"Érik" is a French given name, equivalent to "Eric" in English.
Here, 'Erik' is used as a proper noun to refer to a specific individual, a friend's name.
Erik est mon ami proche.
Erik is my close friend.
In this sentence, 'Erik' is again used as a proper noun, indicating the name of the person the speaker plans to meet.
Je vais rencontrer Erik demain.
I will meet Erik tomorrow.
Here, 'Erik' refers to a person, emphasizing their liking for animals, particularly dogs.