Boys' name · peaked in 1987
Derek name popularity since 1925
239,963 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Derek. Half of them were born in 1987 or earlier, so the typical Derek is about 39 years old in 2026. Derek peaked in 1987 as the #54 name for boys, and it ranked #284 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 239,963
- Named Derek, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #284
- for boys in 2025 (1,191 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 909 girls · 239,054 boys
- Most popular in
- Hawaii
- 2.03× its national share
Peak year is the year Derek made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Derek births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1989. Measured as a share of all babies, Derek peaked in 1987.
- Fastest rise: Between 1949 and 1954, Derek became 3× more common, from 1 in 15,700 baby boys to 1 in 5,190.
- Steepest fall: Between 1990 and 1995, its share of baby boys fell by 41%, from 1 in 254 to 1 in 428.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Derek's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Derek.
Decade by decade
Babies named Derek in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 6 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 155 | #2,285 |
| 1940s | 0 | 533 | #1,000 |
| 1950s | 12 | 5,245 | #330 |
| 1960s | 68 | 19,021 | #167 |
| 1970s | 202 | 38,310 | #83 |
| 1980s | 458 | 72,923 | #56 |
| 1990s | 122 | 50,756 | #83 |
| 2000s | 36 | 27,025 | #172 |
| 2010s | 11 | 17,978 | #211 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 7,102 | #284 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
44.5% of babies named Derek from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Derek is most popular
The index compares Derek's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Derek.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 2.03× | 1,524 |
| New Hampshire | 1.92× | 1,453 |
| Alaska | 1.84× | 657 |
| Rhode Island | 1.68× | 1,433 |
| Massachusetts | 1.57× | 8,971 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Derek and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Derek (this page) | 239,054 | 1987 |
| Derik | 5,508 | 1987 |
| Derrek | 3,047 | 1989 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Derek's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Derek.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Derek (1987).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data