Derek is a distinctive choice, ranked #1705 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Derek in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1705
US Rank #284
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About the Name Derek
Derek is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 527 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #464 in 1996 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Derek is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Derek in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #258, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Derek
Derek Fowlds — Derek James Fowlds was an English actor.
Derek Paravicini — Derek Paravicini is an English savant pianist.
Derek Chauvin — Derek Michael Chauvin is an American former police officer who murdered George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Derek
Unlikely. With around 15 UK babies named Derek per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Derek in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Derek has been fairly steady, ranked #1,705 in 2025 against #1,635 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #464 in 1996.
Derek is more popular in the US (#258) than in the UK (#1108). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Derek include: Derek Paravicini, Derek Chauvin and Derek Muller. Short summaries for each appear below.
Derek appears in the US top 500 at #258 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
15
UK babies named Derek (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 70 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Derek
Almost certainly the only Derek in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Derek
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Derek Alexander Muller is a Canadian-Australian science communicator and media personality best known for his YouTube channel Veritasium, which has over 20 million subscribers and 4.1 billion views as of January 2026.
Peter Derek Vaughan Prince was a Bible teacher whose daily radio programme, Derek Prince Legacy Radio, is broadcast around the world in various languages.
Derek Truyen Tran is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative from California's 45th congressional district since 2025.