Total births
145,347
Boys' name · since 1917
Derrick
Since 1917, U.S. Social Security records show 145,347 babies named Derrick, peaking in 1980. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #814
- among boys today
- 145,347
- born since 1917
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
145,347 babies have been named Derrick since 1917, making it today's #814 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Derrick recorded 145,347 times among boys since 1917, holding rank #814 nationally today, ahead of 94% 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 1917 to 2025.
- #814 among boys today
- 145,347 born since 1917
- 1980s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Derrick is currently the #814 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 145,347 born since 1917, peaking in the 1980s.
- #814
- among boys today
- 145,347
- born since 1917
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Derrick vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#814
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Derrick was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
4,135 babies were named Derrick in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
How Derrick compares
145,347 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Derrick's all-time total is 396x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Derrick | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 145,347 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,135 | 23 | 22,252 |
Derrick's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Derrick's SSA record in two at 1977 and the more recent half accounts for 66% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 34%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1917, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1980 peak of 4,135, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Derrick at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1980
Current rank
#814
Active since
1917
Derrick popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 4,135
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Derrick popularity over time - girls
997 total births recorded since 1954 (Derrick as girls' name)
Derrick by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Derrick's strongest decade.
36,342 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Derrick births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1920s 12
1920s
12 births
- 1930s 57
1930s
57 births
- 1940s 333
1940s
333 births
- 1950s 6,173
1950s
6,173 births
- 1960s
1960s
21,192 births
- 1970s
1970s
32,860 births
- 1980s
1980s
36,342 births
- 1990s
1990s
23,991 births
- 2000s 13,531
2000s
13,531 births
- 2010s 8,559
2010s
8,559 births
- 2020s 2,286
2020s
2,286 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 36,342 births (25% of all-time use).
How Derrick 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 Derrick's total volume
Derrick vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Derrick by state
Where Derrick concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 10,855 | 7.5% |
| #2 | California | | 10,384 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 9,045 | 6.2% |
| #4 | New York | | 8,614 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Florida | | 7,391 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 7,056 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 6,556 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 6,466 | 4.4% |
Texas share of Derrick's total US births 7.5%
Even split
10,855 of 145,347 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Derrick appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Derrick? ▼
Derrick has been given to 145,347 babies in the U.S. since 1917, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #814 as of the latest data. 4,135 babies were born in 1980, its single highest year.
When was Derrick most popular? ▼
Derrick was most popular in the 1980s decade with 36,342 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is Derrick most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Derrick are Texas (10,855 births), California (10,384 births), Illinois (9,045 births).
How long has the name Derrick been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Derrick since 1917 -- 109 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Derrick? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Derek, Derick, Dereck, Derrell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Derrick's data
- Derrick's decade-level peak was the 1980s (36,342 total births); usage has since declined to 2,286 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Derricks (10,855 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 Derrick
Nearby Names Like Derrick
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Derrick
Derek Boy
#258 239,060 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 Derrick side by side: Derrick vs Derek Derrick vs Derick Derrick vs Dereck
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Derrick
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, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Derrick: #814 Boys' Name - 145,347 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/derrick. 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 Derrick 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.