Eddy current dampers (ECD) can be used to introduce damping in rotordynamic applications. ECD5 are contactless in nature and can be made to introduce negligible drag force, thus being a perfect match for passive magnetic bearings such as permanent magnet bearings and superconducting bearings. However, modeling and estimating the amount of damping introduced by an ECD is a difficult task due to complicated geometry and working conditions. The present study presents a novel method for modeling and identification of the damping characteristics of ECD5 for rotordynamic applications. The proposed method employs an analytical dynamic model of the ECD and curve fitting with results of electromagnetic finite element (FE) models to obtain the parameters characterizing the ECD's mechanical impedance. The damping coefficient can be obtained with great accuracy from a single FE solution in quasistatic conditions. The validity of the proposed method is limited to the case of ECD5 employing an axisymmetric conductor, such as a disc or a cylinder, thus covering most cases in rotordynamic applications. Finally, the accuracy of the identification procedure is verified experimentally by comparing the model's results with experimental tests. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.