Boy · #3,302 in 2026

Derik

Name: Popularity of the name Derik in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Derik, 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".

Current Rank

#3,302

Peak Rank

#638 (1987)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+21%

1952

First Year

2026

Last Year

1987

Peak Year

#638

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Derik

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

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

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 Derik

Derik first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1952, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1987, when 198 Deriks were born — ranking #654 that year. As of 2026, Derik ranks #3,302 for baby boys with 36 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). In total, more than 6K Deriks have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Derik

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

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Derik

What does the name Derik mean?

How popular is Derik in 2026?

In 2026, Derik ranks #3,302 among boys' names in the U.S., with 36 babies given the name that year.

When was Derik most popular?

Derik reached its peak popularity in 1987, ranking #638 that year with 198 babies given the name.

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

Derik has historically been most popular in Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Derik.

Is Derik a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Derik?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Derik include Leif, Antwon, Heriberto. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Derik

Derik is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1952 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Derik's peak popularity came in 1987 when it ranked #638. Use the chart and map above to compare Derik'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.