Derk
A Dutch pet form of Diederik, a masculine name of Germanic origin meaning "leader of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 445 living Americans carry the first name Derk. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Derk today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Derk births was 1967 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Derk. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
445
~ 1 in 770,234 Americans
Peak year
1967
27 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,093
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Derk: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Derk from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 167 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Derk by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Derk during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Derks live
Origin
Meaning and history of Derk
The name Derk originates from the Dutch language and is a variant of the ancient Germanic name Theodoric, which means "ruler of the people" or "powerful among the people." It is derived from the Proto-Germanic words "þeudō" meaning "people" and "rīks" meaning "ruler" or "powerful."
The name Derk has its roots in the medieval period, particularly in the Netherlands and parts of Germany. It was popular among the Frankish and Saxon tribes who inhabited these regions. The earliest known record of the name Derk dates back to the 9th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records.
One of the earliest and most notable historical figures bearing the name Derk was Derk I, Count of Holland, who lived from around 920 to 988 AD. He was a prominent ruler of the County of Holland during the 10th century and played a significant role in the region's history.
Another notable individual with the name Derk was Derk Smits (1576-1634), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works are highly regarded and can be found in various art museums across the Netherlands and Europe.
In the 17th century, Derk Berkhout (1638-1698) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and etcher who specialized in portraiture and genre scenes. He was a member of the Leiden Guild of St. Luke and his works are displayed in several museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
One of the more recent historical figures with the name Derk was Derk Hayder (1877-1944), a Dutch-born American architect. He designed numerous buildings in the Art Deco style, including the famous Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Derk Bodde (1909-2003) was a prominent American sinologist and historian, known for his contributions to the study of Chinese history and culture. He served as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and authored several influential works on Chinese philosophy and society.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Derk. While the name has its origins in the Dutch and Germanic languages, it has been used across various cultures and regions, particularly in Europe and the United States.
People
Derk + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Derk as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Derk: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Derk?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 445 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Derk going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 770,234 US residents.
Is Derk a common name?
We classify Derk as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 506 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Derk most popular?
The single biggest year for Derk was 1967, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Derk is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Derk a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Derk in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.