2000
#3,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.40
Rare Last name
Derrick
An English occupational surname referring to a builder or operator of a derrick or siege engine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,900 Americans carry the last name Derrick. That puts it at #3,988 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,622 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Derrick 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Derrick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.9K
1 in 34,622
Census rank
#3,988
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,633 bearers of the surname Derrick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3988th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Derrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Derrick
The surname Derrick is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Derīc," which itself comes from the Germanic root "derīk," meaning "ruler of the people." This name was often given to those born into positions of authority or leadership within their communities.
One of the earliest known references to the name Derrick can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1199, where it appears as "Deric." Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, with variants such as Deryck, Derick, and Derrik also appearing in historical records.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be related to the name Derrick. For example, a "Derīc" is listed as a tenant in the county of Gloucestershire, while a "Derīcus" is recorded as a landholder in Somerset.
The earliest recorded individual with the surname Derrick is likely William Derrick, who was born in the early 13th century and served as the Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1258. Another notable figure was John Derrick (c. 1490-1555), an English courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII and was involved in negotiations with France and the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Derrick surname began to spread across England, with several prominent families emerging. One such family was based in Hertfordshire, where they held the manor of West Dereham. Sir Thomas Derrick (1570-1638), a member of this family, was a Member of Parliament and served as a Justice of the Peace for the county.
Another notable individual was Robert Derrick (1625-1662), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Discourse of the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist." He was a chaplain to King Charles II and was involved in the restoration of the Church of England after the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the Derrick surname continued to be well-represented in various fields. Thomas Derrick (1744-1805) was an English actor and playwright who wrote several comedies and adaptations of works by French playwrights. He also managed several theaters in London and founded the Derrick Club, a society for actors and literary figures.
As the name Derrick spread beyond England, it also took root in other parts of the British Isles and the colonies. For example, in the 19th century, John Derrick (1820-1888) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New Brunswick, Canada, where he established several successful companies and supported various charitable causes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Derrick
Among Census respondents with the surname Derrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Derrick 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 Derrick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.0% · 6,645
- Black or African American14.9% · 1,287
- Two or more races3.8% · 328
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 279
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Derrick
Derrick 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
#3,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,365
+183 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 3.17
Rank movement Down 225 places
2020
#3,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,633
-732 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Down 209 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,554 | 9,182 | 3.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,779 | 9,365 | 3.17 | +183 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 225 places |
| 2020 | #3,988 | 8,633 | 2.89 | -732 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 209 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 Derrick 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 | #3,779 | #3,988 | -5.5% |
| Count | 9,365 | 8,633 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.17 | 2.89 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Derrick bearers went from 9,365 to 8,633 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 209 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,779 to #3,988.
FAQ
Derrick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Derrick?
Name Census estimates that about 9,900 living Americans carry the surname Derrick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,622 residents.
How common is Derrick?
Derrick ranks #3,988 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,633 people with the surname Derrick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,900), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Derrick.
Has Derrick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Derrick went from 9,365 recorded bearers to 8,633. That is a decrease of 732 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,779 to #3,988.
What does the Census say about the background of Derrick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Derrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Derrick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (6,645 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Derrick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.0%), Black (14.9%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Derrick (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 Derrick mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a builder or operator of a derrick or siege engine. 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 Derrick (2.89 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 many Americans have the surname Derrick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.