2000
#68,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 267
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Derek
An occupational surname derived from the Old English "Deor-ric" meaning "ruler of deer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 279 Americans carry the last name Derek. That puts it at #83,373 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,228,510 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Derek surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
279
1 in 1,228,510
Census rank
#83,373
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
243
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 243 bearers of the surname Derek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 83373rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Derek, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Derek
The surname Derek has its origins in England, where it emerged in the medieval era as a variant of the Old English name Dioric or Deric. This name is derived from the elements "deor," meaning "beloved" or "precious," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Derek date back to the 12th century. One notable example is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mention a person named Walter Derecc. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a Walter Derec is listed.
During the 13th century, the surname Derek began to appear in various records across England. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 include entries for individuals named John Derech and Richard Derec. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 mention a Walter Derk.
As the surname spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Derrick, Derrik, and Derick. These variations can be found in various historical documents, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which list a person named William Derrik.
Prominent individuals who bore the surname Derek throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas Derek (c.1570-1638), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1628.
2. William Derek (c.1610-1678), an English clergyman and author known for his work "The Spiritual Navigation" published in 1665.
3. John Derek (1638-1704), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.
4. Elizabeth Derek (1680-1756), an English poet and playwright whose works included the tragedy "The Fatal Marriage" (1720).
5. George Derek (1755-1823), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The surname Derek was also associated with various place names, such as Derkshire in Lancashire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Derchescire." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a geographic location or had connections to specific regions within England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Derek
Among Census respondents with the surname Derek, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Derek bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Derek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.7% · 179
- Black or African American14.8% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 8
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Derek
Derek appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#85,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
-49 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 16,877 places
2020
#83,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 243
+25 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 2,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,782 | 267 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #85,659 | 218 | 0.07 | -49 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 16,877 places |
| 2020 | #83,373 | 243 | 0.08 | +25 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 2,286 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Derek surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #85,659 | #83,373 | 2.7% |
| Count | 218 | 243 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Derek bearers went from 218 to 243 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 2,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #85,659 to #83,373.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Derek
FAQ
Derek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Derek?
Name Census estimates that about 279 living Americans carry the surname Derek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,228,510 residents.
How common is Derek?
Derek ranks #83,373 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 243 people with the surname Derek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (279), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Derek.
Has Derek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Derek went from 218 recorded bearers to 243. That is an increase of 25 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #85,659 to #83,373.
What does the Census say about the background of Derek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Derek, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (5.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Derek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.7% (179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Derek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.7%), Black (14.8%), Hispanic (5.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Derek (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Derek mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English "Deor-ric" meaning "ruler of deer". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Derek (0.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Derek?
You can see how common the surname Derek is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.