Derk

A boy's name of Dutch origin with 506 recorded U.S. births.

Boy's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

wagtail (Motacilla spp.)

Derk is a boy's baby name of Dutch origin, a Dutch and Low German short form of Diederik, itself the Dutch form of Theodoric meaning 'ruler of the people,' from Old High German theod (people) and ric (ruler, power).

Derk is the Dutch equivalent of Derek or Dirk, and was used in the United States primarily among families of Dutch descent. It has the spare, Nordic quality of a name that needs no elaboration — short, strong, and historically substantial.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Derk's final sounds are sharp, distinct — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. In English-language naming, masculine names frequently end on harder consonants or closed syllables, creating a sense of decisiveness and strength. Derk follows that masculine pattern.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Derk's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

Unranked

Current Rank

506

Total births

Since 1950

1967

Peak year

27 births

Compare Derk with another name

Popularity Over Time

Derk has 39+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1950.

First appeared: 1950Peak: 1967 (27 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Derk
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1990s	5	#9093	▼
1980s	95	#4596	▼
1970s	143	#2950	▼
1960s	167	#2092	▲
1950s	96	#2547	—

The Story of Derk

A Gen X name

Peaking in 1967, Derk is a Gen X staple. Boys named Derk are most likely born between 1957 and 1977.

How rare is Derk?

With 506 total births on record, Derk remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1950, peaked in the 1960s with 167 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Derk by the numbers

Would fill 11 school buses
Meeting one Derk per day would take 1.4 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(39 years, 1950–1993)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Derk
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1993	5	#9093	-3 (-37.5%)
1989	8	#5771	-1 (-11.1%)
1988	9	#4887	-1 (-10.0%)
1987	10	#4328	+1 (11.1%)
1986	9	#4565	-4 (-30.8%)
1985	13	#3451	+7 (116.7%)
1984	6	#5757	-3 (-33.3%)
1983	9	#4220	+2 (28.6%)
1982	7	#5158	0
1981	7	#5069	-10 (-58.8%)
1980	17	#2752	+7 (70.0%)
1979	10	#3874	+1 (11.1%)
1978	9	#3935	-2 (-18.2%)
1977	11	#3441	+3 (37.5%)
1976	8	#4098	-8 (-50.0%)
1975	16	#2560	-8 (-33.3%)
1974	24	#1898	+13 (118.2%)
1973	11	#3063	-8 (-42.1%)
1972	19	#2099	-2 (-9.5%)
1971	21	#1998	+7 (50.0%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Derk a boy's or girl's name?

Derk is primarily a boy's name.

When was Derk most popular?

Derk reached its peak popularity in 1967 with 27 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Derk?

Derk is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 506 babies in the U.S. since 1950. Its peak was in 1967.

Explore More

By Length4-letter names By OriginDutch names By EndingNames in -k TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1950–1993