Derek is a familiar boys' name that peaked in 1989 and has since faded.
Derek is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #284 for boy births in the United States (and #552 across all names), given to 1,191 babies — 1,201 including U.S. territories. Derek first appears in 1924 and peaked in 1989 (8,365 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,191 | 1,201 | — | #284 |
| 2024 | 1,357 | 1,369 | — | #258 |
| 2023 | 1,240 | 1,253 | — | #273 |
| 2022 | 1,156 | 1,166 | — | #297 |
| 2021 | 1,095 | 1,114 | — | #302 |
| 2020 | 1,063 | 1,073 | — | #309 |
| 2019 | 1,115 | 1,133 | — | #305 |
| 2018 | 1,409 | 1,437 | — | #256 |
| 2017 | 1,546 | 1,590 | — | #239 |
| 2016 | 1,716 | 1,766 | — | #226 |
| 2015 | 1,885 | 1,966 | — | #211 |
| 2014 | 1,881 | 1,979 | — | #205 |
| 2013 | 1,875 | 1,986 | — | #205 |
| 2012 | 2,116 | 2,257 | — | #182 |
| 2011 | 2,147 | 2,319 | #17,483 | #181 |
| 2010 | 2,299 | 2,514 | #15,476 | #171 |
| 2009 | 2,309 | 2,512 | — | #168 |
| 2008 | 2,488 | 2,668 | — | #159 |
| 2007 | 2,854 | 3,053 | — | #142 |
| 2006 | 2,647 | 2,832 | — | #159 |
| 2005 | 2,430 | 2,612 | #10,333 | #172 |
| 2004 | 2,550 | 2,708 | #16,812 | #157 |
| 2003 | 2,761 | 2,900 | #12,759 | #149 |
| 2002 | 2,787 | 2,911 | — | #139 |
| 2001 | 3,013 | 3,155 | #13,997 | #132 |
| 2000 | 3,222 | 3,318 | #11,005 | #121 |
| 1999 | 3,190 | 3,270 | — | #113 |
| 1998 | 3,420 | 3,452 | #8,765 | #110 |
| 1997 | 3,681 | — | #9,228 | #106 |
| 1996 | 3,931 | — | #7,728 | #101 |
| 1995 | 4,465 | — | #6,746 | #83 |
| 1994 | 5,096 | — | #6,069 | #77 |
| 1993 | 5,773 | — | #7,642 | #67 |
| 1992 | 6,310 | — | #5,545 | #62 |
| 1991 | 6,911 | — | #5,236 | #59 |
| 1990 | 8,101 | — | #5,111 | #54 |
| 1989 | 8,402 | — | #2,943 | #54 |
| 1988 | 8,128 | — | #2,100 | #53 |
| 1987 | 8,310 | — | #1,964 | #54 |
| 1986 | 6,935 | — | #2,743 | #57 |
| 1985 | 6,702 | — | #2,411 | #56 |
| 1984 | 7,013 | — | #2,347 | #52 |
| 1983 | 7,037 | — | #1,997 | #51 |
| 1982 | 7,036 | — | #2,261 | #50 |
| 1981 | 6,523 | — | #2,348 | #53 |
| 1980 | 7,295 | — | #1,944 | #50 |
| 1979 | 4,226 | — | #3,169 | #72 |
| 1978 | 3,821 | — | #3,536 | #75 |
| 1977 | 3,463 | — | #3,402 | #84 |
| 1976 | 3,187 | — | #3,569 | #84 |
| 1975 | 3,201 | — | #4,201 | #83 |
| 1974 | 3,657 | — | #3,234 | #74 |
| 1973 | 3,939 | — | #3,258 | #69 |
| 1972 | 4,163 | — | #3,590 | #67 |
| 1971 | 4,693 | — | #2,748 | #63 |
| 1970 | 4,162 | — | #3,911 | #77 |
| 1969 | 2,937 | — | #4,243 | #109 |
| 1968 | 2,472 | — | #4,052 | #122 |
| 1967 | 2,456 | — | #4,698 | #123 |
| 1966 | 2,117 | — | #5,966 | #141 |
| 1965 | 1,809 | — | #4,941 | #167 |
| 1964 | 1,595 | — | #6,182 | #172 |
| 1963 | 1,644 | — | #4,989 | #177 |
| 1962 | 1,607 | — | #5,432 | #188 |
| 1961 | 1,405 | — | — | #205 |
| 1960 | 1,047 | — | — | #247 |
| 1959 | 991 | — | #5,156 | #254 |
| 1958 | 917 | — | — | #256 |
| 1957 | 677 | — | — | #283 |
| 1956 | 619 | — | #6,179 | #299 |
| 1955 | 501 | — | — | #330 |
| 1954 | 393 | — | — | #363 |
| 1953 | 338 | — | — | #374 |
| 1952 | 341 | — | — | #365 |
| 1951 | 278 | — | — | #408 |
| 1950 | 202 | — | — | #471 |
| 1949 | 113 | — | — | #642 |
| 1948 | 63 | — | — | #863 |
| 1947 | 61 | — | — | #892 |
| 1946 | 47 | — | — | #988 |
| 1945 | 41 | — | — | #1,000 |
| 1944 | 46 | — | — | #953 |
| 1943 | 81 | — | — | #714 |
| 1942 | 32 | — | — | #1,230 |
| 1941 | 18 | — | — | #1,650 |
| 1940 | 31 | — | — | #1,213 |
| 1939 | 23 | — | — | #1,402 |
| 1938 | 20 | — | — | #1,532 |
| 1937 | 9 | — | — | #2,532 |
| 1936 | 30 | — | — | #1,211 |
| 1935 | 11 | — | — | #2,285 |
| 1934 | 10 | — | — | #2,435 |
| 1933 | 11 | — | — | #2,254 |
| 1932 | 12 | — | — | #2,219 |
| 1931 | 16 | — | — | #1,871 |
| 1930 | 13 | — | — | #2,208 |
| 1929 | 6 | — | — | #3,653 |
| 1924 | 6 | — | — | #3,993 |