At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #688 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 396 (0.022% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #1,437 in 2020 to #688 in 2025
- Peak
- #663 in 2024
- First recorded
- 1949
Meaning of Dereck
Dereck is a spirited twist on the classic Derek, tracing its roots to the Old High German Theodoric—“ruler of the people”—and carrying the bold confidence of medieval knights right into today’s playgrounds. Think of it as a name that wears armor with ease yet still salsa-moves through life, equally at home leading a board-room charge or dribbling a fútbol on a sun-splashed street. In the United States, Dereck has danced up and down the popularity charts for decades, never vanishing, always ready for an encore—proof that parents keep rediscovering its steady beat. The crisp duh-REK pronunciation pops like a snare drum, short, strong, impossible to forget, while the unexpected “e” in the spelling adds a dash of rebel spice, the jalapeño in an otherwise familiar dish. Friends hear Dereck and picture reliability wrapped in charisma; employers see a natural frontrunner; abuelos nod approvingly at the name’s noble meaning. For moms and dads seeking a tag that fuses knightly valor with modern groove, Dereck offers the whole enchilada—heritage, flair, and a built-in rallying cry to rule one’s own destiny.
How to pronounce Dereck
English
- Pronounced duh-REK /dəˈrɛk/
Popularity of Dereck in the U.S.
Dereck was the #688 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 396 babies. It peaked at #663 in 2024 and has been in the top 1,000 since 2023. It first appears in the records in 1949.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1949–2025 77 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 396 | 688 | ▼ 25 |
| 2024 | 413 | 663 | ▲ 172 |
| 2023 | 291 | 835 | ▲ 241 |
| 2022 | 203 | 1,076 | ▲ 321 |
| 2021 | 131 | 1,397 | ▲ 40 |
| 2020 | 120 | 1,437 | ▲ 155 |
| 2019 | 104 | 1,592 | ▼ 103 |
| 2018 | 116 | 1,489 | ▼ 233 |
| 2017 | 145 | 1,256 | ▲ 143 |
| 2016 | 125 | 1,399 | ▼ 46 |
| 2015 | 129 | 1,353 | ▼ 128 |
| 2014 | 149 | 1,225 | ▼ 76 |
| 2013 | 157 | 1,149 | ▲ 150 |
| 2012 | 133 | 1,299 | ▼ 163 |
| 2011 | 159 | 1,136 | ▲ 92 |
| 2010 | 144 | 1,228 | ▼ 110 |
| 2009 | 165 | 1,118 | ▲ 36 |
| 2008 | 157 | 1,154 | ▲ 34 |
| 2007 | 148 | 1,188 | ▲ 250 |
| 2006 | 108 | 1,438 | ▼ 237 |
| 2005 | 132 | 1,201 | ▲ 193 |
| 2004 | 102 | 1,394 | ▲ 16 |
| 2003 | 94 | 1,410 | ▲ 73 |
| 2002 | 85 | 1,483 | ▼ 104 |
| 2001 | 92 | 1,379 | ▲ 108 |
| 2000 | 82 | 1,487 | ▼ 158 |
| 1999 | 90 | 1,329 | ▲ 63 |
| 1998 | 83 | 1,392 | ▼ 238 |
| 1997 | 106 | 1,154 | ▲ 180 |
| 1996 | 81 | 1,334 | ▼ 268 |
| 1995 | 111 | 1,066 | ▲ 12 |
| 1994 | 107 | 1,078 | ▼ 120 |
| 1993 | 126 | 958 | ▼ 41 |
| 1992 | 133 | 917 | ▼ 24 |
| 1991 | 139 | 893 | ▼ 116 |
| 1990 | 170 | 777 | ▼ 53 |
| 1989 | 187 | 724 | ▲ 15 |
| 1988 | 163 | 739 | ▼ 31 |
| 1987 | 167 | 708 | ▲ 52 |
| 1986 | 142 | 760 | ▼ 14 |
| 1985 | 142 | 746 | ▼ 31 |
| 1984 | 148 | 715 | ▼ 46 |
| 1983 | 163 | 669 | ▲ 21 |
| 1982 | 158 | 690 | ▲ 81 |
| 1981 | 128 | 771 | ▼ 70 |
| 1980 | 153 | 701 | ▲ 150 |
| 1979 | 104 | 851 | ▲ 132 |
| 1978 | 77 | 983 | ▲ 53 |
| 1977 | 69 | 1,036 | ▲ 75 |
| 1976 | 58 | 1,111 | ▼ 150 |
| 1975 | 73 | 961 | ▲ 16 |
| 1974 | 70 | 977 | ▼ 112 |
| 1973 | 84 | 865 | ▲ 46 |
| 1972 | 77 | 911 | ▲ 17 |
| 1971 | 77 | 928 | ▼ 80 |
| 1970 | 90 | 848 | ▲ 52 |
| 1969 | 72 | 900 | ▼ 7 |
| 1968 | 65 | 893 | ▲ 99 |
| 1967 | 53 | 992 | ▼ 1 |
| 1966 | 54 | 991 | ▲ 73 |
| 1965 | 48 | 1,064 | ▼ 39 |
| 1964 | 54 | 1,025 | ▲ 44 |
| 1963 | 51 | 1,069 | ▲ 78 |
| 1962 | 45 | 1,147 | ▲ 1 |
| 1961 | 47 | 1,148 | ▼ 50 |
| 1960 | 50 | 1,098 | ▲ 239 |
| 1959 | 34 | 1,337 | ▼ 32 |
| 1958 | 35 | 1,305 | ▲ 278 |
| 1957 | 25 | 1,583 | ▲ 59 |
| 1956 | 23 | 1,642 | ▼ 31 |
| 1955 | 23 | 1,611 | ▲ 151 |
| 1954 | 19 | 1,762 | ▲ 769 |
| 1953 | 10 | 2,531 | ▼ 280 |
| 1952 | 12 | 2,251 | ▲ 244 |
| 1951 | 10 | 2,495 | ▲ 1,186 |
| 1950 | 5 | 3,681 | ▲ 9 |
| 1949 | 5 | 3,690 | new |
Dereck by state
Dereck ranks #300 in Maryland (2025).
Rank by state 21 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 300 | 18 |
| Connecticut | 326 | 9 |
| New Jersey | 344 | 24 |
| New York | 424 | 40 |
| Tennessee | 430 | 18 |
| Utah | 473 | 9 |
| Texas | 477 | 70 |
| Illinois | 532 | 18 |
| South Carolina | 552 | 8 |
| Virginia | 587 | 12 |
| Massachusetts | 620 | 7 |
| Florida | 621 | 27 |
| Colorado | 626 | 8 |
| California | 667 | 41 |
| Louisiana | 672 | 6 |
| Kentucky | 708 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 785 | 5 |
| Missouri | 789 | 6 |
| Georgia | 792 | 11 |
| Ohio | 1,111 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,231 | 5 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 181 | 8 |
Notable people named Dereck
- Dereck Rodríguez, son of Hall of Famer Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez, is a professional baseball pitcher who has played in the majors for the Giants, Twins and Braves.
- Dereck Davis is an American Democrat who became Treasurer of Maryland in 2021 after more than two decades in the state House of Delegates.
- Dereck Whittenburg is an American basketball coach who helped NC State win the 1983 NCAA championship and now works in the school's athletic department.
- Dereck Joubert is a South African filmmaker, author and conservationist who works in Botswana as a National Geographic explorer-at-large.