Derek

For the television series, see Derek (TV series).
For the Hebrew term for "way", see Derekh (disambiguation). For the lifting device, see Derrick.
Derek, Derrek, Derick, Derrick, Derik
Pronunciation /dɛrɪk/
Gender Male
Origin
Word/name short form of Diderik
Meaning see Theodoric
Other names
Related names Diderik, Dierk, Dieter, Dietrich, Dirk, Terry, Theodoric, Thierry, Tudor, Tudur
Look up Derek, Derrek, Derick, Derrick, Derik in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Derek is a male name. It is the English language short form of Dederik, the Low German form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler".

Common variants of the name are Derrek, Derick and Derrick, more rarely also Deryck or 'Derrok'. The Dutch language short form of the same Low German / Low Franconian name is Dirk (popularised by the actor Dirk Bogarde) and the Low German Di(e)rk (Dierk Hoff).

History

Further information: Theodoric

The English form of the name arises in the 15th century, via import from the Low Countries. The native English (Anglo-Saxon) form of the name was Deoric or Deodric, from Old English Þēodrīc, but this name had fallen out of use in the medieval period. During the Late Middle Ages, there was intense contact between the territories adjacent to the North Sea, in particular due to the activities of the Hanseatic League. As a result, there was a lot of cross-pollination between Low German, Dutch, English, Danish and Norwegian. The given name Derk is found in records of the Low Countries from the early 14th century, and in the spelling Derck becomes rather common in name lists compiled in the Habsburg Netherlands during the early 16th century.[1] An early bearer of the name Derek was lord of Keppel, Gelderland, in the early 14th century. A Derek van Keppel, lord of Verwoelde, died in 1495 and was succeeded by his eldest son, also called Derek van Keppel. A later Derek van Keppel died in 1646, succeeded by Asewolt van Keppel, the father of Arnold van Keppel, who in 1688 was created Earl of Albemarle in the Peerage of England.[2]

Given name

Acting, presenting

Athletics (track and field)

Baseball

Basketball

Boxing and wrestling

Business

Auto racing

Cricket

Entertainment

Football (American and Canadian)

Football (soccer)

Football (other rules)

Music

Other sports

Painting, sculpture, fashion

Politics

Science, education and academic

Ice Hockey

Writing

Miscellaneous

Variant spellings

Derrek

Derrick

Derick

see also Special:Prefixindex/Derick

Deryck

Use as a surname

Unlike the forms Dietrich and Dieter, Derek has not traditionally been used as a surname. It was however, used as a pseudonym, and adopted as legal surname, by American actor John Derek (1926–1998), who was born Derek Delevan Harris, and via him by his daughter Sean Catherine Derek (born 1953) and his wife Bo Derek (born 1956).

Fictional characters

Popularity

Since 1940, the name Derek was most popular in the 1980s in the United States.

Popularity of Derek" since 1940
RANKS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2010s 170 181 182
2000s 121 132 139 149 156 172 159 142 159 168
1990s 54 59 62 67 77 83 101 106 110 114
1980s 50 53 50 51 52 56 57 54 53 54
1970s 77 63 67 69 74 83 84 82 75 72
1960s 247 205 187 177 172 166 141 123 122 109
1950s 470 407 363 378 362 331 300 283 256 254
1940s 714 953 ^ 956 891 862 641

Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth.
^ Rank > 1000
Source: Social Security Administration.[3]

5
10
15
20
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010

See also

References

  1. ↑ see Gerhard Dumbar, Het kerkelyk en wereltlyk Deventer (1752) for an edition of name lists of Deventer. See also Ubbo Emmius, De agro Frisiae inter Amasum et Lavicom Syntagma (1646) for an edition of late medieval name lists from Frisia.
  2. ↑ Arthur Collins, The peerage of England (1779)
  3. ↑ "Popular Baby Names". Social Security Administration.

External links

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