Dereck
Dereck was the 688th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 396 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 663rd with 413 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 665 places. More babies were named Dereck in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Derek) ruler of the people (from Theodoric) · Germanic, Dutch
- Rank in 2025
- #688 boys, up 751 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 396boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024413 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,296babies recorded
What does the name Dereck mean?
Dereck is a spelling of Derek, pronounced the same way, so it shares Derek's meaning and origin.
Derek is the English form of Dietrich or Diederik, the Low German and Dutch forms of Theodoric. DMNES derives Theodoric from Gothic thiuda, 'people', and Germanic ric, 'ruler', so 'ruler of the people', and lists kings of the Visigoths and Ostrogoths of the name. Wiktionary says English borrowed Derek from Middle Low German in the Middle Ages and revived it in the 19th century, and Wikipedia agrees. Derrick and Dirk are related forms.
þiuda (Gothic, “people”)rīhhi (Old High German, “ruler”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Derrick, Dirk, Dietrich, Theodoric.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Derek', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Derek', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Theodoric', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Dereck popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #688 | 396 |
| 2020 | #1,439 | 120 |
| 2010 | #1,228 | 144 |
| 2000 | #1,489 | 82 |
| 1990 | #777 | 170 |
| 1980 | #701 | 153 |
| 1970 | #851 | 90 |
| 1960 | #1,103 | 50 |
| 1950 | #3,811 | 5 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Dereck, counting every spelling?
Dereck is a spelling of Derek, a name family that ranked #195 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #688 for Dereck on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,027 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derek | 1,191 | #284 | 6,039 |
| Derrick | 288 | #850 | 1,768 |
| Dereck | 396 | #688 | 1,434 |
| Derick | 120 | #1,478 | 653 |
| Derik | 27 | #3,973 | 160 |
| Derrek | 5 | #12,498 | 39 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Dereck?
396 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Dereck (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Dereck born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 21 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Dereck.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Dereck?
About 7,900 people born in the US named Dereck are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 10 and 42. That makes Dereck mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Dereck by state
How common Dereck was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (3.1×), New Jersey (2.8×), New York (2.1×), Florida (1.6×), Virginia (1.6×). In 24 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dereck: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dereck, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Dereck
What does Dereck mean?
Dereck is a spelling of Derek, which means “ruler of the people (from Theodoric)” (Germanic, Dutch origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Dereck?
Dereck was the 688th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 396 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 663rd with 413 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 665 places. More babies were named Dereck in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Dereck a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Dereck in the US.
Where is Dereck most popular?
In 2021–2025, Dereck was most common in Maryland (0.51 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and New York.