Derrick
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- DERR-ik
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,087 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #850 for boys
Vintage revival
Derrick is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “ruler of the people”. In 2025 it ranked 2,087th for boys in the UK (12 babies) and 850th for boys in the US (288 babies).
What does Derrick mean?
Germanic: from Theodoric, via Dutch Diederik
“ruler of the people”
The lifting crane called a derrick is named after Thomas Derrick, a hangman at Tyburn around 1600.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Derrick a girl's or a boy's name?
Derrick is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 12 boys in the UK and 288 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Derrick in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,087among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 12about 1 in 25,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 129% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 12 boys in the UK were named Derrick, making it the 2,087th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,359th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 16 boys.
Half of all the boys named Derrick in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2021. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 19 boys in the UK were given Derrick or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,288, up from #2,087 for this spelling alone.
- Derrick 12
- Derick 7
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,011th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1924 (#74) and 1934 (#77).
Derrick in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #2,087 |
| 2024 | 11 | #2,149 |
| 2023 | 16 | #1,643 |
| 2022 | 11 | #2,143 |
| 2021 | 9 | #2,434 |
| 2020 | 9 | #2,359 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 8 | #2,576 |
| 2017 | 5 | #3,608 |
| 2016 | 8 | #2,690 |
| 2015 | 13 | #1,888 |
| 2014 | 8 | #2,593 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 5 | #3,572 |
| 2011 | 7 | #2,736 |
| 2010 | 9 | #2,306 |
| 2009 | 1 | #6,016 |
| 2008 | 9 | #2,212 |
| 2007 | 4 | #3,748 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,386 |
| 2005 | 5 | #2,885 |
| 2004 | 4 | #3,147 |
| 2003 | 10 | #1,608 |
| 2002 | 7 | #1,900 |
| 2001 | 3 | #3,255 |
| 2000 | 1 | #4,018 |
| 1999 | 2 | #3,878 |
| 1998 | 1 | #3,884 |
| 1997 | 11 | #1,241 |
| 1996 | 10 | #1,290 |
How popular is Derrick in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #850among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 288about 1 in 5,900 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 45% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 288 boys in the US were named Derrick, making it the 850th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 549th. Its busiest year was 1980, with 4,135 boys. It first appears in the records in 1917.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 14 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Derrick than any year since 1951.
Half of all the boys named Derrick in the US since 1880 were born between 1972 and 1993, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 408 boys in the US were given Derrick or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #640, up from #850 for this spelling alone.
- Derrick 288
- Derick 120
Derrick in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 288 | #850 |
| 2024 | 308 | #813 |
| 2023 | 344 | #757 |
| 2022 | 370 | #713 |
| 2021 | 458 | #606 |
| 2020 | 518 | #549 |
| 2019 | 580 | #494 |
| 2018 | 610 | #479 |
| 2017 | 702 | #442 |
| 2016 | 748 | #421 |
| 2015 | 835 | #384 |
| 2014 | 914 | #353 |
| 2013 | 981 | #330 |
| 2012 | 1,053 | #313 |
| 2011 | 1,098 | #300 |
| 2010 | 1,038 | #307 |
| 2009 | 1,115 | #296 |
| 2008 | 1,197 | #285 |
| 2007 | 1,295 | #267 |
| 2006 | 1,362 | #254 |
| 2005 | 1,372 | #245 |
| 2004 | 1,324 | #248 |
| 2003 | 1,378 | #243 |
| 2002 | 1,437 | #236 |
| 2001 | 1,455 | #232 |
| 2000 | 1,596 | #218 |
| 1999 | 1,614 | #213 |
| 1998 | 1,756 | #194 |
| 1997 | 1,784 | #187 |
| 1996 | 1,995 | #169 |
| 1995 | 2,190 | #159 |
| 1994 | 2,575 | #136 |
| 1993 | 2,704 | #129 |
| 1992 | 2,914 | #120 |
| 1991 | 3,096 | #111 |
| 1990 | 3,363 | #106 |
| 1989 | 3,442 | #99 |
| 1988 | 3,304 | #97 |
| 1987 | 3,534 | #86 |
| 1986 | 3,326 | #87 |
| 1985 | 3,779 | #83 |
| 1984 | 3,661 | #79 |
| 1983 | 3,656 | #78 |
| 1982 | 3,655 | #78 |
| 1981 | 3,850 | #78 |
| 1980 | 4,135 | #74 |
| 1979 | 3,729 | #80 |
| 1978 | 3,786 | #76 |
| 1977 | 3,481 | #80 |
| 1976 | 2,921 | #91 |
| 1975 | 2,815 | #90 |
| 1974 | 2,958 | #87 |
| 1973 | 3,054 | #87 |
| 1972 | 3,088 | #91 |
| 1971 | 3,582 | #84 |
| 1970 | 3,446 | #96 |
| 1969 | 2,936 | #107 |
| 1968 | 2,595 | #116 |
| 1967 | 2,504 | #119 |
| 1966 | 2,438 | #127 |
| 1965 | 2,422 | #129 |
| 1964 | 2,091 | #156 |
| 1963 | 1,948 | #164 |
| 1962 | 1,579 | #191 |
| 1961 | 1,499 | #198 |
| 1960 | 1,180 | #236 |
| 1959 | 1,179 | #231 |
| 1958 | 1,028 | #244 |
| 1957 | 945 | #249 |
| 1956 | 809 | #253 |
| 1955 | 655 | #278 |
| 1954 | 507 | #319 |
| 1953 | 359 | #359 |
| 1952 | 302 | #396 |
| 1951 | 218 | #458 |
| 1950 | 171 | #511 |
| 1949 | 83 | #753 |
| 1948 | 65 | #845 |
| 1947 | 46 | #1,063 |
| 1946 | 27 | #1,354 |
| 1945 | 21 | #1,444 |
| 1944 | 23 | #1,399 |
| 1943 | 30 | #1,258 |
| 1942 | 14 | #1,946 |
| 1941 | 16 | #1,759 |
| 1940 | 8 | #2,671 |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 16 | #1,741 |
| 1937 | 6 | #3,175 |
| 1936 | 6 | #3,146 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 7 | #2,972 |
| 1933 | 5 | #3,640 |
| 1932 | 7 | #3,091 |
| 1931 | 5 | #3,761 |
| 1930 | 5 | #3,999 |
| 1929 | 6 | #3,557 |
| 1928 | 6 | #3,695 |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 6 | #3,727 |
| 1917 | 5 | #3,979 |
Nicknames for Derrick
Names like Derrick
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Reggie Patrick Robin Frederick Lenny Eric Rory Daniel Rudy Joey Bobby Sonny
Other spellings of Derrick
Names related to Derrick
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Derrick: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/derrick, updated 20 October 2026.