Where does the name Derek come from?

Derek is a boy name of Germanic origin.

Is Derek a boy or a girl name?

Derek is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 236,512 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Derek in 2023?

Derek ranks #273 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1989 with 8,365 babies.

How do you pronounce Derek?

Derek is pronounced DEH-rik (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Derek?

Derek is also written as Derrick, Dirk, Theodoric.

A name from Germanic · Boy

Derek

From the Old Germanic Theoderic — theod ('people') + ric ('ruler'); 'ruler of the people'. Reached English via Dutch Diederik and became a stable English given name from the medieval period.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 99-year arc in numbers.

236,512 U.S. births recorded from 1924–2023.

Popularity · 1924–2023

1,240 births in 2023

1924 1973 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

DFrom the Old Germanic Theoderic — theod ('people') + ric ('ruler'); 'ruler of the people'. Reached English via Dutch Diederik and became a stable English given name from the medieval period.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Derek".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Derrick Most common Dirk Theodoric

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Derek.

D
Derek Jeter (Yankees shortstop)
D
Derek Hough (dancer)
D
Bo Derek (actress; surname)

Quick answers

People often ask about Derek.

What does the name Derek mean?: Derek means from the Old Germanic Theoderic — theod ('people') + ric ('ruler'); 'ruler of the people'. Reached English via Dutch Diederik and became a stable English given name from the medieval period.
Where does the name Derek come from?: Derek is a boy name of Germanic origin.
Is Derek a boy or a girl name?: Derek is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 236,512 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Derek in 2023?: Derek ranks #273 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1989 with 8,365 babies.
How do you pronounce Derek?: Derek is pronounced DEH-rik (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Derek?: Derek is also written as Derrick, Dirk, Theodoric.

Similar names

If you love Derek, also consider…

Robert

#88

Boy ·Germanic

Bright fame; from 'hrod' (fame) and 'beraht' (bright)

From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

Walter

#267

Boy ·Germanic

From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.