Derek
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Derek
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.
Derek is also given to girls.
Pronounced DER-ik.
As of October 2026, Derek ranked #284 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #50 in 1982, Nameberry popularity #368.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #205 | 1,881 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #211 | 1,883 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #226 | 1,715 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #239 | 1,546 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #256 | 1,408 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #305 | 1,115 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #309 | 1,063 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #303 | 1,094 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #297 | 1,155 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #271 | 1,240 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #258 | 1,355 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #284 | 1,191 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Derek for boys
Similar names
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Derek on lists
Famous Dereks
- Derek Sanderson JeterBoy
American baseball player
- Derek ChauvinBoy
former American police officer charged with the murder of unarmed Black man George Floyd
- Derek HoughBoy
American dancer, actor and singer
- Derek Anthony KlenaBoy
American actor and singer
- Derek George JacobiBoy
English actor
- Derek Harold Richard BartonBoy
English chemist; winner of the Nobel Prize
- Derek Alton WalcottBoy
Saint Lucian poet and playwright
- Derek Lamar FisherBoy
American basketball player and coach
- Derek Dallas CarrBoy
American NFL player
- Derek Matthew AndersonBoy
American NFL football player
- Derek HardmanBoy
American NFL football player
- Derek Steven HaganBoy
American NFL football player
- Derek NewtonBoy
American NFL football player
- Derek Sinclair CoxBoy
American NFL football player
- Derek LandriBoy
American NFL football player
- Derek Christopher LoweBoy
American baseball player
- Derek Keith Barbosa aka Chino XLBoy
American rapper
- Derek TaylorBoy
English journalist and press officer for The Beatles
- Derek DalyBoy
Irish racing driver
- Derek RaeBoy
Scottish football commentator
- Derek Walsh WebbBoy
American singer,songwriter of band Caedmon's Call
- Derek ThompsonBoy
Northern Irish actor
- Derek Roland ClarkBoy
English MEP
- Derek VaughanBoy
Welsh MEP
- Derek Alexander MullerBoy
Australian/Canadian vlogger, focusing on science
- Temuera Derek MorrisonBoy
New Zealand actor
- Derek KrahnBoy
social media personality 'BigCatDerek'
Derek in pop culture
- Derek "McDreamy" ShepherdBoy
character on TV's "Grey's Anatomy"
- Derek Bailey ShepherdBoy
son of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the show "Grey's Anatomy"
- Derek VenturiBoy
main character on TV's "Life With Derek"
- Derek HaleBoy
character on TV's "Teen Wolf"
- Derek MorganBoy
character on TV's "Criminal Minds"
- Derek Clifford SimmonsBoy
character in video game "Resident Evil 6"
- Derek ReeseBoy
character on TV's "The Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
- Derek NoakesBoy
main character on British TV series "Derek"
- Derek VinyardBoy
character in film "American History X"
- Derek MalloyBoy
character on TV's "The Client List"
- Derek SommersBoy
Peyton Sawyer Scott's half brother on "One Tree Hill"
- Prince DerekBoy
Princess Odette's love interest in "The Swan Princess"
- DerekBoy
character in "Barney's Backyard Gang"
- Derek "Nursey" NurseBoy
character in webcomic "Check Please!"
- Derek ArdenBoy
character in anime "Black Butler"