Dierk
A Germanic masculine name derived from Theodoric meaning "leader of the people."
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Dierk. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dierk today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dierk births was 2015 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dierk. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dierk. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
2015
7 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2015 SSA rank
#9,819
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Dierk: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dierk from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dierk 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 Dierk during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dierk
The given name Dierk is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old Saxon word "diur," meaning "precious" or "valuable." This name dates back to the early Middle Ages, around the 6th to 8th centuries, and was initially popular among Germanic tribes in regions of present-day Germany and the Netherlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dierk can be found in the Frankish Annals, a historical chronicle from the late 8th century, where it is mentioned as the name of a Frankish nobleman. The name gained popularity during the Carolingian dynasty, which ruled a large portion of Western Europe from the late 8th to the late 9th century.
In the 11th century, Dierk van Arkel was a prominent Dutch nobleman and Lord of Arkel, a region in the Netherlands. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Counts of Holland and the Dukes of Brabant during the early 12th century.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dierk was Dierk Sturen, a 14th-century Frisian chieftain and freedom fighter who led the resistance against the Dutch counts during the Frisian Freedom War (1345-1355). His bravery and leadership earned him a place in Frisian folklore and historical accounts.
In the 15th century, Dierk Lorich was a German humanist, scholar, and reformer who advocated for educational reforms and played a role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation. He was born in 1487 and died in 1564.
During the 16th century, Dierk Willemsz was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and vanitas paintings. He was born in 1625 and died in 1677, leaving behind a significant artistic legacy.
The name Dierk has maintained a strong presence in various Germanic language communities, though its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries. Despite its ancient roots, it continues to be used as a given name in parts of Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands.
People
Dierk + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dierk 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
Dierk: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dierk?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dierk 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Dierk a common name?
We classify Dierk as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dierk most popular?
The single biggest year for Dierk was 2015, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dierk is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dierk in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dierk a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dierk 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.
Is Dierk still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dierk in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dierk can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Dierk?
Find out how many people share the name Dierk on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.