Boy · #7,883 in 2026

Derrek

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

#7,883

Peak Rank

#891 (1989)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-48%

1950

First Year

2026

Last Year

1989

Peak Year

#891

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Derrek

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 Derrek

The earliest SSA record of Derrek as a baby boy name dates back to 1950, when 7 babies received it. 1989 was its biggest year on record, with 128 newborns named Derrek — #891 in the national rankings. About 28% of every Derrek on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Derrek ranks #7,883 for baby boys with 5 births, falling sharply (-48%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Derrek

Phonetically similar names — useful when Derrek 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
Derik
Deric
Deryck
Deroche
Doric
Darrick
Daric
Darak
Dirac

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Derrek

What does the name Derrek mean?

How popular is Derrek in 2026?

In 2026, Derrek ranks #7,883 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Derrek most popular?

Derrek reached its peak popularity in 1989, ranking #891 that year with 128 babies given the name.

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

Derrek has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Minnesota, Kentucky. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Derrek.

Is Derrek a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Derrek?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Derrek include Earlie, Verlyn, Immanuel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Derrek

Derrek is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Derrek's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #891. Use the chart and map above to compare Derrek'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.