Derrick is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Derrick means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Derrick across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Derrick has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Derrick is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “ruler of the people”. a variant of Derek.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 146,344 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 183 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 161 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 340 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Derrick per year, United States (1917 to 2025). United States peaked in 1980 (4,171/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1974 (26/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (18/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2023 (14/yr).
Derrick has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1980, when it ranked #149 nationally (given to 4,194 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Derek · Derick · Darrick · Dereck · Derik · Deric · Derrek · Derrik
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