Derrick
Derrick was the 850th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 288 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 74th with 4,135 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 466 places. More babies were named Derrick in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Derek) ruler of the people (from Theodoric) · Germanic, Dutch
- Rank in 2025
- #850 boys, down 301 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 288boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19804,135 babies
- Total since 1880
- 146,344babies recorded
What does the name Derrick mean?
Derrick 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
Derrick popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 997 since 1954.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #850 | 288 |
| 2020 | #549 | 518 |
| 2010 | #307 | 1,038 |
| 2000 | #218 | 1,596 |
| 1990 | #106 | 3,363 |
| 1980 | #74 | 4,135 |
| 1970 | #96 | 3,446 |
| 1960 | #236 | 1,180 |
| 1950 | #512 | 171 |
| 1940 | #2,714 | 8 |
| 1930 | #4,133 | 5 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Derrick, counting every spelling?
Derrick is a spelling of Derek, a name family that ranked #195 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #850 for Derrick 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 Derrick?
288 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Derrick (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Derrick 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 29 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Derrick.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Derrick?
About 132,600 people born in the US named Derrick are alive today, with a median age of 42; half are between 31 and 53. That makes Derrick 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.
Derrick by state
How common Derrick was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (3.8×), Louisiana (3.6×), Arkansas (2.3×), Alabama (1.9×), Georgia (1.9×). In 20 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 Derrick: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Derrick, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Derrick
What does Derrick mean?
Derrick is a spelling of Derek, which means “ruler of the people (from Theodoric)” (Germanic, Dutch origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Derrick?
Derrick was the 850th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 288 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 74th with 4,135 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 466 places. More babies were named Derrick in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Derrick a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Derrick in the US.
Where is Derrick most popular?
In 2021–2025, Derrick was most common in Mississippi (0.77 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and Arkansas.