Rising since 2018, #3,949 for boys today.
Popularity of Derik since 1952
Babies named Derik per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 59 |
| 1960s | 385 |
| 1970s | 871 |
| 1980s | 1,650 |
| 1990s | 1,225 |
| 2000s | 768 |
| 2010s | 364 |
| 2020s | 186 |
Meaning & origin
Derik is a spelling variant of Derek, a name with Germanic roots meaning 'ruler of the people'. It first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1952 and reached its peak popularity in 1987. After a period of decline, it has been rising in usage since 2018, and in 2025 it ranked 3,949 with approximately 1 in 63,262 newborn boys receiving the name. While not among the most common names, Derik maintains steady appeal as a more distinctive take on the well-known Derek.
Derik is a phonetic spelling of Derek, which originated as a medieval English short form of Theodoric. Theodoric comes from the Old German elements 'theudo' (people) and 'ric' (ruler), thus 'ruler of the people'. The name Derek became popular in the English-speaking world in the 20th century, and Derik emerged as a less common variant.
Where Derik is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Derik
Names that share Derik's style, for a brother or sister.
