Derek first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Derek has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Derek

A masculine name of English origin meaning "holding the people".

Popularity of Derek by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Derek is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Derek being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,238 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Derek.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 1,238 0
2022 1,147 0
2021 1,093 0
2020 1,060 0
2019 1,113 0
2018 1,405 0
2017 1,545 0
2016 1,715 0
2015 1,883 0
2014 1,881 0
2013 1,874 0
2012 2,116 0
2011 2,141 5
2010 2,293 6
2009 2,306 0
2008 2,488 0
2007 2,854 0
2006 2,647 0
2005 2,420 10
2004 2,544 5
2003 2,754 7
2002 2,787 0
2001 3,007 6
2000 3,214 8
1999 3,188 0
1998 3,410 10
1997 3,671 9
1996 3,920 11
1995 4,452 13
1994 5,081 15
1993 5,758 11
1992 6,293 17
1991 6,892 18
1990 8,084 18
1989 8,365 37
1988 8,074 55
1987 8,250 57
1986 6,900 35
1985 6,659 41
1984 6,972 41
1983 6,986 51
1982 6,992 44
1981 6,483 42
1980 7,245 55
1979 4,203 26
1978 3,802 21
1977 3,450 23
1976 3,168 19
1975 3,189 15
1974 3,637 21

The history of the first name Derek

The name Derek derives from the Germanic elements "deer", meaning beast or brave, and "ric", meaning ruler or power. It originated as a personal name among the Anglo-Saxon people in England during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 7th centuries AD.

One of the earliest known references to the name Derek appears in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Derric" in this text.

Derek was a relatively common name among the English nobility throughout the Middle Ages. One notable bearer of the name was Derek of Yorkshire, a 12th-century landowner and knight who fought in the Crusades. Another was Derek de Lacy, a 13th-century English nobleman and military commander during the reign of King John.

In the 15th century, the name Derek appeared in Scottish records, likely due to the influence of Anglo-Norman settlers in the region. One of the earliest Scottish references is to Derek Stewart, a 15th-century nobleman and ancestor of the later Stewart monarchs.

The name saw a resurgence in popularity during the Victorian era in the 19th century. Famous individuals named Derek from this period include Derek Parfit (1842-1925), a British philosopher and writer, and Derek Jacobi (1819-1892), a renowned English stage actor.

Other notable people named Derek throughout history include Derek Walcott (1930-2017), a Nobel Prize-winning Caribbean poet and playwright; Derek Jarman (1942-1994), an influential English filmmaker and artist; Derek Trucks (born 1979), an American guitarist and founder of the Derek Trucks Band; and Derek Jeter (born 1974), a former professional baseball player and shortstop for the New York Yankees.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Derek was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Derek, please contact us.

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"Derek first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/derek-meaning-and-history/.

"Derek first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/derek-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Derek first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/derek-meaning-and-history/.

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