Derek - Name Meaning and Origin

The boy's name Derek \d(e)-rek\ is pronounced DARE-ik. It is of English and Old German origin, and its meaning is "power of the tribe". From Theodoric. Many phonetic variants have come into popular usuage. Basketball player Derrick Coleman; baseball player Derek Jeter.

Derek has 21 variant forms: Darek, Darrick, Darriq, Dereck, Deric, Derick, Derik, Deriq, Derk, Derreck, Derrek, Derrick, Derrik, Derryck, Derryk, Deryck, Deryk, Deryke, Dirk, Dirke and Dyrk.

For more information, see also related names Dedrick, Derry, Jerrick, Darroch and Dietrich.

Baby names that sound like Derek are Dirck, Dierck and Tarek.

Derek is a very popular male first name and a very rare surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the boy's name Derek. Click here to compare Derek with related baby names.