Derek
Derek was the 284th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,191 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 50th; the most babies were born in 1989 (8,365). Over the last ten years it has moved down 73 places. More babies were named Derek in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning ruler of the people (from Theodoric) · Germanic, Dutch
Say it DAIR-ik /ˈdɛrɪk/
- Rank in 2025
- #284 boys, up 25 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,191boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19898,365 babies
- Total since 1880
- 239,969babies recorded
What does the name Derek mean?
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
Nicknames for Derek
The usual nicknames for Derek are Rick. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Derek in the last five years, 4 were named Rick, against 5 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rick · also for Richard, Eric, Ricardo | Traditional | #3,077 | 216 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Dereks go by each one.
Derek popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 909 since 1956.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #284 | 1,191 |
| 2020 | #309 | 1,063 |
| 2010 | #171 | 2,293 |
| 2000 | #121 | 3,214 |
| 1990 | #54 | 8,083 |
| 1980 | #50 | 7,240 |
| 1970 | #77 | 4,147 |
| 1960 | #247 | 1,047 |
| 1950 | #471 | 202 |
| 1940 | #1,213 | 31 |
| 1930 | #2,208 | 13 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Derek, counting every spelling?
Derek is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #195 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #284 for Derek 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 Derek?
1,191 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Derek (0.33 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Derek 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Derek.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Derek?
About 222,600 people born in the US named Derek are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 28 and 46. That makes Derek mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Derek by state
How common Derek was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.0×), Connecticut (1.7×), New York (1.7×), Florida (1.7×), Maryland (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, District of Columbia, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Derek: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Derek, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Derek · Sibling names for Derek
Questions about the name Derek
What does Derek mean?
Derek means “ruler of the people (from Theodoric)” (Germanic, Dutch origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Derek?
Derek was the 284th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,191 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 50th; the most babies were born in 1989 (8,365). Over the last ten years it has moved down 73 places. More babies were named Derek in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Derek a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Derek in the US.
Where is Derek most popular?
In 2021–2025, Derek was most common in New Jersey (1.40 per 1,000 boys), followed by Connecticut and New York.