Derrick
A Low German short form of Theodoric, “ruler of the people,” which reached England through Dutch trade.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Derrick first shows up in the national records in 1917. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1970 to 1989. Its biggest year was 1980, when 4,135 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 74 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 850 for boys. All told, 146,344 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Derek (239,969), Derick (19,810), Dereck (8,296), Derik (5,508), Deric (4,744), Derrek (3,047) (total births since 1880)
Explore Derrick interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 | No. 3728 |
| 1920s | 12 | No. 3559 |
| 1930s | 57 | No. 1741 |
| 1940s | 333 | No. 754 |
| 1950s | 6,173 | No. 231 |
| 1960s | 21,192 | No. 107 |
| 1970s | 32,860 | No. 76 |
| 1980s | 36,342 | No. 74 |
| 1990s | 23,991 | No. 106 |
| 2000s | 13,531 | No. 218 |
| 2010s | 8,559 | No. 300 |
| 2020s | 2,286 | No. 549 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.