Derrick

Did you know?

A few things about Derrick you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Derrick

Derrick Rose

American basketball player (born 1988)

Choose Derrick and your child shares a first name with Derrick Rose, an American basketball player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Derrick, like who?” Derrick Rose's Wikipedia article is available in 57 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Derrick Rose on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 5,931 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Derrick, 288 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Derrick would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDerrick first shows up in US birth records in 1917, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 108 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1980, when it ranked #74. Today it's #850, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowDerrick was 4.8× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,231 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 5,931.
• 🍂TrendDerrick has slipped 301 places over the last five years and now sits at #850. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedDerrick is most popular in Louisiana, where it ranks #401, followed by Mississippi (#415) and Maryland (#437). It's in the top 1,000 in 21 states.
• 💬MeaningDerrick is an English form of Theodoric, which means “ruler of the people”.

About the name Derrick

Derrick is a boy name meaning “ruler of the people”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with D and ending in “-ick”. US birth records list Derrick for boys from 1917 to 2025, in 98 of those 109 years. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked #74 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #850, with 288 babies.