The first name Derek
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /ˈdɛɹɪk/ 2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Borrowed in the Middle Ages from a Middle Low German variant of Theodoric, and revived in the 19th century.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 15 boys were named Derek, making it the 1,705th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 40 births (#464).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Derek with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Derek at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,191 boys born in the United States were named Derek, the 284th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1989, when 8,365 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Derek in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Derek
128 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Derek BartonEnglish organic chemist (1918–1998)
- Derek JacobiEnglish actor (born 1938)
- Derek JeterAmerican former professional baseball player, author, bussinessman and baseball broadcaste, born 1974
- Derek ParfitBritish philosopher (1942–2017)
- Derek ChauvinEuropean American former police officer who murdered George Floyd, born 1976
- Derek JarmanBritish film director and artist (1942-1994)
- Derek LukeAmerican actor, born 1974
- Derek DrouinCanadian high jumper, born 1990
- Derek CorneliusCanadian soccer player, born 1997
- Derek FisherAmerican basketball player and coach, born 1974
- Derek WarwickBritish racecar driver, born 1954
- Derek SherinianAmerican keyboardist (born 1966)
Questions
- What does the name Derek mean?
- Borrowed in the Middle Ages from a Middle Low German variant of Theodoric, and revived in the 19th century.
- How popular is the name Derek?
- In 2025, 15 boys born in England and Wales were named Derek, ranking 1,705th. Its peak was 1996, with 40 births.
- What are nicknames for Derek?
- Common nicknames for Derek include Del.
- Is Derek a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 239,969 US babies named Derek since 1880 were boys.
- When was Derek most popular?
- 1989 in the United States, when 8,365 babies were named Derek, its highest rank at 54th.
- How do you pronounce Derek?
- Derek is /ˈdɛɹɪk/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Derek?
- Derick, Derrick, Deryck, Deric, Dereck and Derique.