Boy · #248 in 2026

Derek

Name: Popularity of the name Derek in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Derek, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of Diederik, the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler" or "lead the people".

English

Current Rank

#248

Peak Rank

#50 (1989)

Total Babies

241K

5-Yr Trend

+4%

1956

First Year

2011

Last Year

1987

Peak Year

#1962

Peak Rank

909

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Derek

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

Origin & history

Further information: Theodoric The English form of the name arises in the 15th century, via import from the Low Countries . The native English (Anglo-Saxon) form of the name was Deoric or Deodric , from Old English Þēodrīc , but this name had fallen out of use in the medieval period . During the Late Middle Ages , there was intense contact between the territories adjacent to the North Sea , in particular due to the activities of the Hanseatic League . As a result, there was a lot of cross-pollination between Low German , Dutch , English , Danish and Norwegian . The given name Derk is found in

The Story of Derek

American parents first put Derek on the record books as a baby boy name in 1924, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 8,365 Dereks were born — ranking #54 that year. About 30% of every Derek on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Derek ranks #248 for baby boys with 1,393 births, holding steady (+4%). All told, over 241K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Derek

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Derek. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Derek

Phonetically similar names — useful when Derek is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Derrick
Derick
Derik
Derrek
Deric
Deryck
Deroche
Doric
Darrick
Daric
Darak
Dirac

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Derek

What does the name Derek mean?

What is the origin of the name Derek?

Derek has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Derek in 2026?

In 2026, Derek ranks #248 among boys' names in the U.S., with 1,393 babies given the name that year.

When was Derek most popular?

Derek reached its peak popularity in 1989, ranking #50 that year with 8,365 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Derek most popular?

Derek has historically been most popular in Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Maine. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Derek.

Is Derek a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Derek is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Derek?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Derek include Harvey, Edgar, Clyde. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Derek?

Common variants and related forms of Derek include Dederick, Dereck, Derick, Derrick, Deryck. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Derek

Derek is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1924 and has accumulated 241K births in the dataset. Derek's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #50. Use the chart and map above to compare Derek's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.