Fun Facts About the Name Derik
- More than 5 thousand babies named Derik: U.S. records list 5,508 babies given the name Derik from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Derik Mean?
Derik is a variant spelling of Derek, an English form of a Germanic name that means "ruler of the people." The name is built from two Old Germanic elements: theud (also written theod), meaning "people" or "folk," and ric, meaning "ruler," "power," or "king." The same two parts appear in the Dutch and Low German Diederik and the German Dietrich. The second element, ric, goes back to a Celtic word for "king" that Germanic speakers borrowed and that is related to Latin rex. The compound literally means "people-ruler," which is customarily translated as "ruler of the people."
Derik Name History & Origins
The Germanic name behind Derik is reconstructed as Þeudarīks. It is best known from Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogothic king who ruled Italy in the early sixth century and whose name appears in Latin sources as Theodoricus. The same compound developed into Old High German Dieterich, Frankish Theuderic (the source of the French Thierry), and Dutch Diederik.
Dutch shortened Diederik to Dirk, and it was largely through Dutch and Low German that the name reached English, where it was respelled Derek. Derik follows the same line with a different vowel in the second syllable. The -i- spelling is not confined to English; forms with -i- also appear in Scandinavian use alongside the traditional Didrik and Diderik. In all of these languages the name keeps the same two-part Germanic structure, even though the spelling and pronunciation differ from country to country.
How Popular is the Name Derik?
Derik recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1987. Its best rank was #638 in 1980.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,973 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #3,395 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2023 | #3,308 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2022 | #4,011 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #3,256 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2020 | #3,944 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2019 | #4,369 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2018 | #3,727 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2017 | #4,135 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2016 | #3,907 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2015 | #3,604 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2014 | #3,553 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2013 | #2,600 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 2012 | #2,832 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2011 | #2,447 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2010 | #2,176 | 61 | 0.0032% |
| 2009 | #2,296 | 57 | 0.0029% |
| 2008 | #1,843 | 79 | 0.0039% |
| 2007 | #1,671 | 91 | 0.0044% |
| 2006 | #1,742 | 80 | 0.0039% |
| 2005 | #1,597 | 86 | 0.0043% |
| 2004 | #1,568 | 84 | 0.0042% |
| 2003 | #1,540 | 83 | 0.0042% |
| 2002 | #1,562 | 79 | 0.0041% |
| 2001 | #1,648 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2000 | #1,836 | 58 | 0.0030% |
| 1999 | #1,479 | 77 | 0.0040% |
| 1998 | #1,305 | 91 | 0.0048% |
| 1997 | #1,243 | 93 | 0.0049% |
| 1996 | #1,249 | 89 | 0.0047% |
| 1995 | #973 | 130 | 0.0068% |
| 1994 | #1,005 | 122 | 0.0063% |
| 1993 | #980 | 122 | 0.0062% |
| 1992 | #907 | 136 | 0.0068% |
| 1991 | #784 | 171 | 0.0085% |
| 1990 | #733 | 194 | 0.0094% |
| 1989 | #778 | 163 | 0.0081% |
| 1988 | #749 | 160 | 0.0084% |
| 1987 | #654 | 198 | 0.0106% |
| 1986 | #751 | 146 | 0.0079% |
| 1985 | #676 | 173 | 0.0094% |
| 1984 | #713 | 149 | 0.0083% |
| 1983 | #680 | 158 | 0.0088% |
| 1982 | #700 | 154 | 0.0085% |
| 1981 | #677 | 163 | 0.0091% |
| 1980 | #638 | 186 | 0.0104% |
| 1979 | #794 | 119 | 0.0069% |
| 1978 | #854 | 101 | 0.0062% |
| 1977 | #909 | 87 | 0.0053% |
| 1976 | #935 | 80 | 0.0051% |
| 1975 | #974 | 71 | 0.0045% |
| 1974 | #1,040 | 63 | 0.0040% |
| 1973 | #833 | 91 | 0.0058% |
| 1972 | #859 | 87 | 0.0054% |
| 1971 | #861 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 1970 | #892 | 82 | 0.0044% |
| 1969 | #905 | 71 | 0.0040% |
| 1968 | #1,037 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1967 | #910 | 63 | 0.0036% |
| 1966 | #1,244 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1965 | #1,147 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1964 | #1,553 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1963 | #1,313 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1962 | #1,907 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1961 | #1,609 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1960 | #2,153 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1959 | #2,445 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1958 | #2,287 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #2,875 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #3,023 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #2,617 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #3,167 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Derik
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with D
Short Boy Names That Start with D
How the Name Derik Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Derik's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Derik's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.