Derek

Last seen for girls in 2011 at #16,764 · #284 for boys in 2025, 1,191 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1980 · 7,240 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
26 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
239,060
since 1924

Derek over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201976peak #50, 1980boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#2841,191
2024—#2581,357
2023—#2731,240
2022—#2971,156
2021—#3021,095
2020—#3091,063
2019—#3041,115
2018—#2561,409
2017—#2391,546
2016—#2261,716
2015—#2111,885
2014—#2051,881
2013—#2051,875
2012—#1822,116
2011#16,7645#1812,142
2010#14,9596#1702,293
2009—#1682,309
2008—#1592,488
2007—#1422,854
2006—#1592,647
2005#10,12810#1722,420
2004#16,0995#1572,545
2003#12,4087#1492,754
2002—#1392,787
2001#13,5216#1323,007
2000#10,7458#1213,214
1999—#1133,190
1998#8,58410#1103,410
1997#9,0179#1063,672
1996#7,57411#1013,920
1995#6,64113#834,452
1994#5,98415#775,081
1993#7,49811#675,762
1992#5,48417#626,293
1991#5,18118#596,893
1990#5,06018#548,083
1989#2,93137#548,365
1988#2,09355#538,073
1987#1,96257#548,253
1986#2,72435#576,900
1985#2,39841#566,661
1984#2,34041#526,972
1983#1,99351#516,986
1982#2,25044#506,992
1981#2,34242#536,481
1980#1,93655#507,240
1979#3,14726#724,200
1978#3,51221#753,800
1977#3,36622#843,441
1976#3,54019#843,168
1975#4,14115#833,186
1974#3,21221#743,636
1973#3,23320#693,919
1972#3,54317#674,146
1971#2,73626#634,667
1970#3,87215#774,147
1969#4,19812#1092,925
1968#4,00012#1222,460
1967#4,6259#1232,447
1966#5,8096#1412,111
1965#4,8318#1671,801
1964#6,0096#1721,589
1963#4,8968#1771,636
1962#5,2937#1881,600
1961—#2051,405
1960—#2471,047
1959#5,0317#254984
1958—#256917
1957—#283677
1956#5,9525#299614
1955—#330501
1954—#363393
1953—#373338
1952—#364341
1951—#408278
1950—#471202
1949—#641113
1948—#86263
1947—#88961
1946—#98047
1945—#99541
1944—#94946
1943—#71481
1942—#1,22832
1941—#1,63318
1940—#1,20831
1939—#1,39023
1938—#1,52120
1937—#2,4799
1936—#1,20530
1935—#2,24611
1934—#2,39310
1933—#2,21411
1932—#2,19112
1931—#1,84316
1930—#2,17813
1929—#3,5596
1928——
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1926——
1925——
1924—#3,8676
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First appearance
1924

The first year at least five boys were named Derek! It came in at #3,867, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1925–1928, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Derek is popular in 1976

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #64 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 249 boysAKMaine: #49 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 181 boysMEVermont: #75 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 338 boysVTNew Hampshire: #44 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 155 boysNHWashington: #82 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 403 boysWAIdaho: #76 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 343 boysIDMontana: #88 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 364 boysMTNorth Dakota: #56 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 215 boysNDMinnesota: #58 for boys · 115 births · 1 in 235 boysMNIllinois: #78 for boys · 168 births · 1 in 467 boysILWisconsin: #74 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 399 boysWIMichigan: #68 for boys · 163 births · 1 in 375 boysMINew York: #91 for boys · 191 births · 1 in 588 boysNYMassachusetts: #47 for boys · 141 births · 1 in 227 boysMARhode Island: #36 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 148 boysRIOregon: #76 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 352 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Derek, so not publishedNVWyoming: #84 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 332 boysWYSouth Dakota: #82 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 405 boysSDIowa: #62 for boys · 65 births · 1 in 301 boysIAIndiana: #72 for boys · 109 births · 1 in 350 boysINOhio: #96 for boys · 120 births · 1 in 624 boysOHPennsylvania: #77 for boys · 142 births · 1 in 504 boysPANew Jersey: #88 for boys · 69 births · 1 in 587 boysNJConnecticut: #87 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 566 boysCTCalifornia: #116 for boys · 271 births · 1 in 586 boysCAUtah: #74 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 321 boysUTColorado: #63 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 318 boysCONebraska: #121 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 769 boysNEMissouri: #69 for boys · 93 births · 1 in 355 boysMOKentucky: #106 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 683 boysKYWest Virginia: #106 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 696 boysWVVirginia: #92 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 517 boysVAMaryland: #86 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 493 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Derek, so not publishedDEArizona: #73 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 357 boysAZNew Mexico: #139 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 626 boysNMKansas: #75 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 345 boysKSArkansas: #137 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 675 boysARTennessee: #112 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 620 boysTNNorth Carolina: #84 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 477 boysNCSouth Carolina: #128 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 604 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #70 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 306 boysDCOklahoma: #92 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 425 boysOKLouisiana: #93 for boys · 74 births · 1 in 411 boysLAMississippi: #116 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 582 boysMSAlabama: #111 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 558 boysALGeorgia: #110 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 556 boysGAHawaii: #61 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 269 boysHITexas: #155 for boys · 145 births · 1 in 742 boysTXFlorida: #101 for boys · 85 births · 1 in 555 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Rhode Island#36 · 1 in 148
  2. New Hampshire#44 · 1 in 155
  3. Massachusetts#47 · 1 in 227
  4. Maine#49 · 1 in 181
  5. North Dakota#56 · 1 in 215

Best ever in a state: #22 in South Dakota, 1987.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Rhode Island#36331 in 148
New Hampshire#44311 in 155
Massachusetts#471411 in 227
Maine#49361 in 181
North Dakota#56231 in 215
Minnesota#581151 in 235
Hawaii#61231 in 269
Iowa#62651 in 301
Colorado#63591 in 318
Alaska#64121 in 249
Michigan#681631 in 375
Missouri#69931 in 355
District of Columbia#70251 in 306
Indiana#721091 in 350
Arizona#73501 in 357
Utah#74511 in 321
Wisconsin#74771 in 399
Kansas#75441 in 345
Vermont#7581 in 338
Idaho#76211 in 343
Oregon#76461 in 352
Pennsylvania#771421 in 504
Illinois#781681 in 467
South Dakota#82121 in 405
Washington#82601 in 403
North Carolina#84761 in 477
Wyoming#8481 in 332
Maryland#86411 in 493
Connecticut#87281 in 566
Montana#88141 in 364
New Jersey#88691 in 587
New York#911911 in 588
Oklahoma#92451 in 425
Virginia#92591 in 517
Louisiana#93741 in 411
Ohio#961201 in 624
Florida#101851 in 555
Kentucky#106391 in 683
West Virginia#106191 in 696
Georgia#110641 in 556
Alabama#111451 in 558
Tennessee#112481 in 620
California#1162711 in 586
Mississippi#116311 in 582
Nebraska#121141 in 769
South Carolina#128331 in 604
Arkansas#137221 in 675
New Mexico#139151 in 626
Texas#1551451 in 742
Delaware———
Nevada———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Derek
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 26 spots since 2024 (#258 → #284)
  • 25 spots since 2020 (#309 → #284)
  • 73 spots since 2015 (#211 → #284)
  • Biggest jump: 514 spots in 1943 (#1,228 → #714)
  • Biggest drop: 235 spots in 1944 (#714 → #949)
Rise & fade · boys
56 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1924
  • Peaked 1980 at #50 (7,240 births)
  • Births halved by 1998, 18 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 26 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 26 yrs · run 1970–1995
  • Top 1,000: 83 yrs · run 1943–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 226
  • Highest: 1 in 226 boys born in 1987 were named Derek (0.44%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,434 boys born in 2025 (0.07%)
  • Its best rank, #50 in 1980, was only 1 in 246 (0.41%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1980s
  • 30.5% of all boys named Derek (72,923) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1920s12#3,559 (1929)#3,713
1930s155#1,205 (1936)#1,966
1940s533#641 (1949)#1,010
1950s5,245#254 (1959)#340
1960s19,021#109 (1969)#165
1970s38,310#63 (1971)#75
1980s72,923#50 (1980)#53
1990s50,756#54 (1990)#83
2000s27,025#121 (2000)#150
2010s17,978#170 (2010)#218
2020s7,102#258 (2024)#287

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Derek in 1976

girls
#3,540
19 births · 1 in 77,110 girls
boys
#84
3,168 births · 1 in 495 boys

Top girls' names in 1976

  1. #1Jennifer59,473
  2. #2Amy31,339
  3. #3Melissa25,094
  4. #4Heather24,192
  5. #5Angela22,038
  6. #6Michelle19,550
  7. #7Kimberly18,962
  8. #8Jessica18,368
  9. #9Lisa17,346
  10. #10Amanda15,588
  11. #3,540Derek19

Top boys' names in 1976

  1. #1Michael66,915
  2. #2Jason52,643
  3. #3Christopher45,190
  4. #4David39,265
  5. #5James38,294
  6. #6John33,976
  7. #7Robert33,789
  8. #8Brian30,517
  9. #9Matthew29,951
  10. #10Daniel24,702
  11. #84Derek3,168
More about 1976

girls

1,465,099 girls got a published name in 1976; 1 in 77,110 of them was named Derek, which outranked 67.6% of the 10,913 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Derek
  1. #3,407Wendolyn20
  2. #3,407Willette20
  3. #3,407Zina20
  4. #3,540Derek19
  5. #3,540Abra19
  6. #3,540Akina19
  7. #3,540Alan19
  8. #3,678Aaliyah18
  9. #3,678Aleida18
  10. #3,678Allen18

Tied with 137 names at #3,540; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1975
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,548Rhiannon#4,141 → #593
  2. ↑ 3,533Mackenzie#4,370 → #837
  3. ↑ 3,060Khalilah#3,774 → #714
  4. ↑ 1,663Kenisha#2,612 → #949
  5. ↑ 1,455Latoria#2,411 → #956
Fallers
  1. ↓ 821Nyree#926 → #1,747
  2. ↓ 668Syreeta#778 → #1,446
  3. ↓ 505Cher#994 → #1,499
  4. ↓ 398Kandice#957 → #1,355
  5. ↓ 370Racquel#973 → #1,343

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,569,007 boys got a published name in 1976; 1 in 495 of them was named Derek, which outranked 98.7% of the 6,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Derek
  1. #81Gabriel3,303
  2. #82Dustin3,212
  3. #83Cory3,182
  4. #84Derek3,168
  5. #85Billy3,158
  6. #86Tony3,067
  7. #87Russell2,999
Biggest movers since 1975
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,506Seneca#4,309 → #803
  2. ↑ 1,165Jameel#2,134 → #969
  3. ↑ 712Delvin#1,658 → #946
  4. ↑ 567Jerimy#1,530 → #963
  5. ↑ 510Jamaal#1,042 → #532
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,113Santino#1,000 → #2,113
  2. ↓ 511Carnell#900 → #1,411
  3. ↓ 453Nakia#337 → #790
  4. ↓ 395Charlton#938 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 376Benjiman#970 → #1,346

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1976 →