Total births
239,060
Boys' name · since 1924
Derek
239,060 babies named Derek in U.S. Social Security records since 1924, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #258
- among boys today
- 239,060
- born since 1924
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Derek currently ranks #258 among boys' names in America, with 239,060 babies recorded since 1924.
Social Security Administration records show Derek recorded 239,060 times among boys since 1924, holding rank #258 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1924 to 2025.
- #258 among boys today
- 239,060 born since 1924
- 1980s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Derek is currently the #258 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 239,060 born since 1924, peaking in the 1980s.
- #258
- among boys today
- 239,060
- born since 1924
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Derek vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#258
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Derek was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
8,365 babies were named Derek in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Derek compares
239,060 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Derek's all-time total is 651x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Derek | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 239,060 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8,365 | 23 | 22,252 |
Derek's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Derek's SSA record in two at 1977 and the more recent half accounts for 78% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 22%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1924, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1989 peak of 8,365, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Derek at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1989
Current rank
#258
Active since
1924
Derek popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1924–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 8,365
- Annual births at peak, across 102 years of records
Derek popularity over time - girls
909 total births recorded since 1956 (Derek as girls' name)
Derek by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Derek's strongest decade.
72,923 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Derek births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 12
1920s
12 births
- 1930s 155
1930s
155 births
- 1940s 533
1940s
533 births
- 1950s 5,245
1950s
5,245 births
- 1960s 19,021
1960s
19,021 births
- 1970s
1970s
38,310 births
- 1980s
1980s
72,923 births
- 1990s
1990s
50,756 births
- 2000s 27,025
2000s
27,025 births
- 2010s 17,978
2010s
17,978 births
- 2020s 7,102
2020s
7,102 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 72,923 births (31% of all-time use).
How Derek compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Derek's total volume
Derek vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Derek by state
Where Derek concentrates geographically, total births since 1924
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 26,723 | 11.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 15,448 | 6.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 15,380 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 11,025 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 10,595 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 10,412 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 9,852 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 9,557 | 4.0% |
California share of Derek's total US births 11.2%
Even split
26,723 of 239,060 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Derek appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Derek? ▼
239,060 babies have been named Derek since 1924. It currently ranks #258 among boys. The peak year was 1989 with 8,365 births.
When was Derek most popular? ▼
Derek was most popular in the 1980s decade with 72,923 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Derek most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Derek are California (26,723 births), Texas (15,448 births), New York (15,380 births).
How long has the name Derek been used? ▼
Derek has been recorded in Social Security data since 1924, spanning 102 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Derek? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Derrick, Derick, Dereck, Derrell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Derek's data
- Derek's decade-level peak was the 1980s (72,923 total births); usage has since declined to 7,102 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Dereks (26,723 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Derek
Nearby Names Like Derek
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Derek
Derrick Boy
#814 145,347 births
Derick Boy
#1442 19,771 births
Dereck Boy
#664 8,296 births
Derrell Boy
#9945 5,864 births
Deron Boy
#4739 5,709 births
Compare Derek side by side: Derek vs Derrick Derek vs Derick Derek vs Dereck
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Derek
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1924–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Derek: #258 Boys' Name - 239,060 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/derek. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Derek draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.