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

Popularity of Derrick by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Derrick is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Derrick being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 342 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Derrick.

The history of the first name Derrick

The name Derrick has its origins in the Old German language, where it was derived from the word "Theodoric," which itself is composed of two roots - "theud" meaning "people" and "ric" meaning "ruler." This name was popular among the Germanic tribes during the Middle Ages and was often associated with nobility and leadership.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Derrick can be found in the historical figure Theodoric the Great, who was the king of the Ostrogoths and ruled over a significant portion of the Roman Empire from 475 to 526 AD. His reign was marked by relative peace and prosperity, and he is remembered for his efforts to reconcile the Gothic and Roman cultures.

In the 12th century, the name Derrick appeared in the form of "Theodericus" in the writings of the English historian William of Malmesbury. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time as it was adapted to different cultures and languages.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various forms, such as "Diederik" in Dutch, "Diederich" in German, and "Diederik" in Scandinavian languages. One notable bearer of the name was the Dutch philosopher and mathematician Diederik Raven (1559-1638), who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and physics.

In England, the name Derrick gained popularity during the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Sir Derrick Molyneux (1599-1632), an English politician and courtier who served as a Member of Parliament and held various positions at the court of King Charles I.

Another prominent figure was Derrick Carleton (1610-1660), an English prelate who served as the Bishop of Chichester and was known for his support of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was a skilled orator and wrote several theological works.

In more recent times, the name Derrick has been associated with notable individuals such as Derrick Brooks (born 1973), an American football player who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, and Derrick Rose (born 1988), an American professional basketball player who was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2011.

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 Derrick was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!