Total births
5,864
Boys' name · since 1909
Derrell
Derrell has 5,864 recorded births since 1909 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1987 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9945
- among boys today
- 5,864
- born since 1909
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
5,864 babies have been named Derrell since 1909, making it today's #9945 boys' name.
Derrell has 5,864 recorded births among boys since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9945 as of the latest data, more common than 30% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #9945 among boys today
- 5,864 born since 1909
- 1980s peak decade
- 30% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Derrell is currently the #9945 boys' name in America, more common than 30% of boys - 5,864 born since 1909, peaking in the 1980s.
- #9945
- among boys today
- 5,864
- born since 1909
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Derrell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9945
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 30% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Derrell was born in this single decade.
1987
Single peak year
136 babies were named Derrell in 1987 - its busiest year on record.
How Derrell compares
5,864 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Derrell's all-time total is 16x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Derrell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,864 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 136 | 23 | 22,252 |
Derrell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Derrell's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 57% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 43%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1909, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1987 peak of 136, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Derrell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1987
Current rank
#9,945
Active since
1909
Derrell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1987)
- 136
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Derrell popularity over time - girls
16 total births recorded since 1956 (Derrell as girls' name)
Derrell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Derrell's strongest decade.
1,017 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Derrell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 56
1910s
56 births
- 1920s 199
1920s
199 births
- 1930s
1930s
415 births
- 1940s
1940s
496 births
- 1950s
1950s
719 births
- 1960s
1960s
710 births
- 1970s
1970s
674 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,017 births
- 1990s
1990s
779 births
- 2000s
2000s
434 births
- 2010s 295
2010s
295 births
- 2020s 65
2020s
65 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,017 births (17% of all-time use).
How Derrell 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 Derrell's total volume
Derrell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Derrell by state
Where Derrell concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 592 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 326 | 5.6% |
| #3 | California | | 292 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 202 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 182 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Maryland | | 129 | 2.2% |
| #7 | New York | | 107 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 95 | 1.6% |
Texas share of Derrell's total US births 10.1%
Even split
592 of 5,864 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Derrell appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Derrell? ▼
Derrell has been given to 5,864 babies in the U.S. since 1909, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #9945 as of the latest data. 136 babies were born in 1987, its single highest year.
When was Derrell most popular? ▼
Derrell was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,017 total births. The single peak year was 1987.
Where is Derrell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Derrell are Texas (592 births), Georgia (326 births), California (292 births).
How long has the name Derrell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Derrell since 1909 -- 117 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Derrell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Derek, Derrick, Derick, Dereck, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Derrell's data
- Derrell's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,017 total births); usage has since declined to 65 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Derrells (592 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Derrell
Nearby Names Like Derrell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Derrell
Derek Boy
#258 239,060 births
Derrick Boy
#814 145,347 births
Derick Boy
#1442 19,771 births
Dereck Boy
#664 8,296 births
Deron Boy
#4739 5,709 births
Compare Derrell side by side: Derrell vs Derek Derrell vs Derrick Derrell vs Derick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Derrell
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, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Derrell: #9945 Boys' Name - 5,864 Births, Peak 1987." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/derrell. 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 Derrell 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.