Find out how popular the last name Derek is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Derek.

Derek, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Derek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Derek in America

Derek is the 85659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Derek surname appeared 218 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Derek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Derek to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name 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 These variations can be found in various historical documents, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which list a person named William Derrik.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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Derek

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Derek.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Derek was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Derek has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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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