Derek

Derek: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “ruler of the people”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: DAIR-ik · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From Low German and Dutch forms of Theodoric, from Germanic elements meaning 'people' and 'ruler'. Derek is the standard English spelling.

English names German names Dutch names Names meaning royalty Names meaning protector Names meaning noble Classic names International names

How popular is Derek?

2024407 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Derek in 20241,355

2024 rank#258 boys

Peak year1987

Total US babies since 1880238,769

Derek is fading: recent use is about 63% of its level ten years before.

Names like Derek

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Dereckpeople's ruler · Germanic
Derrickpeople ruler · Germanic
Derickpeople's ruler · Germanic
Derikpeople's ruler · Germanic
Darrickruler of the people · Germanic
Williamresolute protector · Germanic
Henryhome ruler · Germanic
Charlesfree man · Germanic

Derek questions

What does the name Derek mean?

Derek means "ruler of the people". It comes from Germanic. From Low German and Dutch forms of Theodoric, from Germanic elements meaning 'people' and 'ruler'. Derek is the standard English spelling.

Is Derek a boy or girl name?

Derek is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Derek?

1,355 US babies were named Derek in 2024. Its peak year was 1987.

How do you pronounce Derek?

Derek is usually pronounced DAIR-ik.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.