Unique Middle Names You Didn't Even Know Were Names

Rare Names With Popular Nicknames

Top Boys Name For Each Letter: a 130-year survey

Best D Names for Boys

Baseball Names Hit It Out of the Park

Best J Names for Boys

Best Z Names for Girls

The Weirdest Names Ever

Derek

The name Derek peaked for girls at #1945 in 1980. Derek is also used for boys, ranking #258 in 2024.

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

Names that Peaked in 1980

German Names

German Names for Boys

5 Letter Boy Names

Names Ending in K for Boys

Names That Mean Ruler

Names That Mean Form

Names That Mean German

Two Syllable Names for Boys

Names that Peaked in 1982

Boy Dog Names That Start With D

Dog Names That Start With D

Animal Names for Boys

German Names that Start With D

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.

Names That Mean King, Queen, Ruler or Royal

Top 1970s Baby Names

Top 1980s Baby Names 

Corgi Names

Werewolf Baby Names

German Shepherd Names

Millennial Names

Dad Names

Dog Names

Names With Lots of Spellings

Medieval Names

German

Nameberry

Future

Mexico

The name Derek is currently ranked #258 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.

Derek

The name Derek in Nameberry Blog Posts

More Lists containing Derek

Advanced Search

Find your type.