NamesBoyD › Derek
Boy name

Derek

/ˈdɛɹɪk/ · 100% boys · #284 in the US for boys, 2025

Derek has been given to about 239,969 people in the United States since 1880. It was most common in 1989, which makes it a Gen X and millennial name.

Meaning
Origin
Syllables2
Pronunciation/ˈdɛɹɪk/
Nicknames
Living in the US≈ 218,488
Median age today38 years

Popularity, 1880–2025

Babies named Derek per year · SSA, ONS, NRS, CSO, INSEE and SSB
18802025
United StatesEngland & WalesScotlandFranceeach scaled to its own peak
  • Peak year1989 · 8,402
  • Born in 20251,191
  • All time239,969
  • England & Wales, 202515

How popular is Derek?

Derek ranks 284th among American boys in 2025, with 1,191 born that year. Its best year was 1989, when 8,402 babies were given the name, ranking 54th. The typical living American called Derek is about 38 years old today. It is relatively most common in Rhode Island, where it accounts for 0.11% of births.

Names that sound like Derek

Phonetic similarity, 0–1
  1. Dereck0.91
  2. Derik0.71
  3. Derrell0.70
  4. Derick0.69
  5. Derrick0.67
  6. Deric0.64
  7. Dewey0.60
  8. Deven0.60

Middle names for Derek

Ranked by flow score
  1. Derek Paul0.77
  2. Derek John0.77
  3. Derek Blake0.76
  4. Derek Wade0.76
  5. Derek Ross0.76
  6. Derek Quinn0.76

Sibling names for Derek

Same era, comparable use, no clash
  1. Aliciasister · 0.99
  2. Marcusbrother · 0.98
  3. Travisbrother · 0.97
  4. Caseyeither · 0.97
  5. Vanessasister · 0.97
  6. Coreybrother · 0.97

Where Derek is strongest

Share of 2025 births by state
  1. Rhode Island0.11%
  2. New York0.07%
  3. New Jersey0.07%
  4. Connecticut0.06%
  5. Maryland0.06%

With a common surname

Flow score against the most-used American surnames · try your own
  1. Derek Anderson0.77
  2. Derek White0.72
  3. Derek Nguyen0.72
  4. Derek Moore0.72
  5. Derek Hill0.72
  6. Derek Hall0.72

How to read these numbers

Every score on this page is explained
  1. Phonetic similarity0–1
  2. Middle-name flow0–1
  3. Sibling fit0–1
  4. Living population estimatemethod
  5. PronunciationCMU dictionary

Sources for Derek

Every figure on this page is public record
  1. United States1880–2025
  2. England & Wales1996–2025
  3. Scotland1974–2020
  4. France1900–2025
  5. PronunciationCMU dictionary

Derek across America

Share of 2025 births in each state. Darker means more common.
ME
WA
VT
NH
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
CA
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
DC
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
SC
AK
TX
GA
FL
HI
raremost common

Source: US Social Security Administration, national and state name files, 2025 release, and the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales. Etymology researched and written by our editors. Living-population and median-age figures are our own estimates, described in the methodology.