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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201977peak #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——
1927——
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 1977

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Derek, so not publishedAKMaine: #50 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 212 boysMEVermont: #82 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 345 boysVTNew Hampshire: #51 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 196 boysNHWashington: #80 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 411 boysWAIdaho: #86 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 396 boysIDMontana: #103 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 502 boysMTNorth Dakota: #58 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 243 boysNDMinnesota: #60 for boys · 118 births · 1 in 244 boysMNIllinois: #76 for boys · 182 births · 1 in 447 boysILWisconsin: #67 for boys · 91 births · 1 in 353 boysWIMichigan: #66 for boys · 182 births · 1 in 353 boysMINew York: #84 for boys · 200 births · 1 in 568 boysNYMassachusetts: #44 for boys · 160 births · 1 in 206 boysMARhode Island: #41 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 138 boysRIOregon: #74 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 350 boysORNevada: #78 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 379 boysNVWyoming: #99 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 433 boysWYSouth Dakota: #72 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 337 boysSDIowa: #74 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 398 boysIAIndiana: #62 for boys · 135 births · 1 in 300 boysINOhio: #95 for boys · 132 births · 1 in 587 boysOHPennsylvania: #82 for boys · 147 births · 1 in 505 boysPANew Jersey: #71 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 463 boysNJConnecticut: #84 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 516 boysCTCalifornia: #138 for boys · 237 births · 1 in 698 boysCAUtah: #84 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 408 boysUTColorado: #82 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 446 boysCONebraska: #108 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 634 boysNEMissouri: #64 for boys · 110 births · 1 in 319 boysMOKentucky: #80 for boys · 74 births · 1 in 381 boysKYWest Virginia: #92 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 509 boysWVVirginia: #69 for boys · 87 births · 1 in 374 boysVAMaryland: #90 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 515 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Derek, so not publishedDEArizona: #104 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 503 boysAZNew Mexico: #203 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 948 boysNMKansas: #83 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 400 boysKSArkansas: #118 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 571 boysARTennessee: #96 for boys · 65 births · 1 in 491 boysTNNorth Carolina: #74 for boys · 101 births · 1 in 381 boysNCSouth Carolina: #120 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 591 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #110 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 527 boysDCOklahoma: #102 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 509 boysOKLouisiana: #86 for boys · 82 births · 1 in 402 boysLAMississippi: #91 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 391 boysMSAlabama: #104 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 547 boysALGeorgia: #92 for boys · 80 births · 1 in 473 boysGAHawaii: #60 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 264 boysHITexas: #139 for boys · 171 births · 1 in 656 boysTXFlorida: #87 for boys · 102 births · 1 in 490 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Rhode Island#41 · 1 in 138
  2. Massachusetts#44 · 1 in 206
  3. Maine#50 · 1 in 212
  4. New Hampshire#51 · 1 in 196
  5. North Dakota#58 · 1 in 243

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Rhode Island#41381 in 138
Massachusetts#441601 in 206
Maine#50331 in 212
New Hampshire#51281 in 196
North Dakota#58221 in 243
Hawaii#60241 in 264
Minnesota#601181 in 244
Indiana#621351 in 300
Missouri#641101 in 319
Michigan#661821 in 353
Wisconsin#67911 in 353
Virginia#69871 in 374
New Jersey#71901 in 463
South Dakota#72151 in 337
Iowa#74531 in 398
North Carolina#741011 in 381
Oregon#74501 in 350
Illinois#761821 in 447
Nevada#78101 in 379
Kentucky#80741 in 381
Washington#80631 in 411
Colorado#82441 in 446
Pennsylvania#821471 in 505
Vermont#8281 in 345
Kansas#83391 in 400
Connecticut#84311 in 516
New York#842001 in 568
Utah#84431 in 408
Idaho#86201 in 396
Louisiana#86821 in 402
Florida#871021 in 490
Maryland#90421 in 515
Mississippi#91491 in 391
Georgia#92801 in 473
West Virginia#92281 in 509
Ohio#951321 in 587
Tennessee#96651 in 491
Wyoming#9971 in 433
Oklahoma#102391 in 509
Montana#103111 in 502
Alabama#104491 in 547
Arizona#104371 in 503
Nebraska#108181 in 634
District of Columbia#110151 in 527
Arkansas#118271 in 571
South Carolina#120351 in 591
California#1382371 in 698
Texas#1391711 in 656
New Mexico#203101 in 948
Alaska———
Delaware———

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 1977

girls
#3,366
22 births · 1 in 69,688 girls
boys
#84
3,441 births · 1 in 478 boys

Top girls' names in 1977

  1. #1Jennifer58,964
  2. #2Melissa26,879
  3. #3Amy26,729
  4. #4Jessica24,846
  5. #5Heather23,773
  6. #6Angela20,998
  7. #7Michelle19,540
  8. #8Kimberly18,286
  9. #9Amanda18,278
  10. #10Kelly18,234
  11. #3,366Derek22

Top boys' names in 1977

  1. #1Michael67,587
  2. #2Jason55,631
  3. #3Christopher46,721
  4. #4David40,515
  5. #5James40,040
  6. #6Robert34,214
  7. #7John34,195
  8. #8Brian32,492
  9. #9Matthew31,965
  10. #10Joseph26,483
  11. #84Derek3,441
More about 1977

girls

1,533,146 girls got a published name in 1977; 1 in 69,688 of them was named Derek, which outranked 70.3% of the 11,329 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Derek
  1. #3,267Tonda23
  2. #3,267Tynesha23
  3. #3,267Veronika23
  4. #3,366Derek22
  5. #3,366Addy22
  6. #3,366Akia22
  7. #3,366Alayna22
  8. #3,486Akeisha21
  9. #3,486Alita21
  10. #3,486Audria21

Tied with 119 names at #3,366; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1976
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,746Shawnte#2,486 → #740
  2. ↑ 1,077Jacklyn#2,060 → #983
  3. ↑ 775Talia#1,482 → #707
  4. ↑ 605Haley#1,047 → #442
  5. ↑ 576Raven#1,154 → #578
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,033Liberty#543 → #1,576
  2. ↓ 464Luciana#545 → #1,009
  3. ↓ 441Danyel#999 → #1,440
  4. ↓ 428Chaka#897 → #1,325
  5. ↓ 322Catina#861 → #1,183

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

boys

1,643,220 boys got a published name in 1977; 1 in 478 of them was named Derek, which outranked 98.8% of the 6,861 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Derek
  1. #81Dustin3,477
  2. #82Jamie3,447
  3. #83Terry3,443
  4. #84Derek3,441
  5. #85Brent3,423
  6. #86Randy3,397
  7. #87Gabriel3,346
Biggest movers since 1976
Risers
  1. ↑ 5,102Lavar#5,587 → #485
  2. ↑ 4,753Kinte#5,587 → #834
  3. ↑ 969Jedidiah#1,873 → #904
  4. ↑ 811Conor#1,748 → #937
  5. ↑ 704Amin#1,608 → #904
Fallers
  1. ↓ 427Jerimy#963 → #1,390
  2. ↓ 322Demetrios#990 → #1,312
  3. ↓ 246Nakia#790 → #1,036
  4. ↓ 244Baron#977 → #1,221
  5. ↓ 235Hakim#878 → #1,113

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

See the top 100 for 1977 →