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Derek

The name Derek peaked for girls at #1945 in 1980. Derek is also used for boys, ranking #284 in 2025.

The name Derek is a boy's name of German origin meaning "the people's ruler".

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Names that Peaked in 1982

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Derek started out as a sophisticated Brit, but the name became so common over the last decades of the twentieth century that it lost much of its English accent, along with its stylish edge. Derek was a Top 100 name in the U.S. for 25 years, from 1970 to 1995, after which it began to decline.
 
Now, however, Derek (and Dereck) are back on the block, and have been rising since 2022. Derek was the most popular spelling in 2024, when it ranked at #258, while fast rising Dereck sat at #664 and Derrick appeared at #817. Collectively, the names were given to 2072 babies, making it feel like a Top 200 choice, ranking alongside Charlie, Felix, Maxwell, and Barrett. 
 As a name, Derek was introduced into Britain during the Middle Ages by immigrant Flemish weavers, likely in its longer form, Dederick. Dederick was a Low German form of Theodoric, giving the name the meaning "the people's ruler".
 
The revival of Derek as a baby name is currently happening in Spain and the US, whereas in the UK, Canada, and New Zealand, it may still be considered dated.

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The name Derek is currently ranked #284 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #50 in 1982. The name is most popular in DEREK, DEREK, and DEREK. Derek is occasionally used for girls in 2011.

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	—	0	0
2015	—	0	0
2016	—	0	0
2017	—	0	0
2018	—	0	0
2019	—	0	0
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0

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