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, Derrick and Deric, more rarely also Dek, Deryck, Darack, 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).
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. 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.
Derek Acorah (born 1950), British TV personalityDerek Batey (born 1928), British TV presenterDerek Benfield (born 1926), British actor and playwrightDerek Bogaerde a.k.a. Dirk Bogarde (1921–1999), British actor of Dutch/Scottish ancestryDerek Bond (1920–2006), actor, director and playwright (won the Military Cross WW2)Derek Brockway (born 1967), Welsh meteorologist and TV presenterDerek Cecil (born 1973), American actorDerek Deadman, British actorDerek Dingle (1937–2004), English close-up magician who lived in New YorkDerek Edwards (born 1958), Canadian stand-up comedian and actorDerek Fowlds (born 1937), English actorDerek Francis (1923–1984), British comedy and character actorDerek Griffiths (born 1946), British actorDerek Guille (born 1951), Australian radio presenterDerek Hartley (born 1969), American radio talk-show hostDerek Jacobi (born 1938), English actor and directorDerek Kelly (born 1964), American actor and firefighterDerek Kok Jing-Hung (born 1964), Hong Kong actorDerek de Lint (born 1950), Dutch actorDerek Luke (actor) (born 1974), American actorDerek Martin (born 1933), English actorDerek McCulloch (1897–1967), BBC radio presenter and producerDerek McGrath (born 1951), Canadian actorDerek Mooney (born 1967), Irish radio and TV personality and producerDerek Newark (1933–1998), English actorDerek Nimmo (1930–1999), English character actorDerek Prince (1915–2003), American Christian radio preacherDerek Prince (born 1969), American voice actor and radio hostDerek Richardson (born 1976), American actorDerek Royle (1929–1990), English actorDerek Taylor, Canadian news anchor and sportscasterDerek Thompson (born 1948), Northern Irish TV actorDerek Waring a.k.a. Derek Barton-Chapple (1927–2007), English actorAthletics (track and field)
Derek Clayton (born 1942), British/Australian long-distance runnerDerek Ibbotson (born 1932), English track athleteDerek Johnson (1933–2004), British track athleteDerek Miles (born 1972), American field athlete (pole vault)Derek Mills (born 1972), American track athleteDerek Redmond (born 1965), English track athleteDerek Bell (born 1968), former Major League Baseball playerDerek Holland (born 1986), American baseball playerDerek Jeter (born 1974), American baseball player (shortstop)Derek Lilliquist (born 1966) American baseball player and coachDerek Lowe (born 1973), American baseball playerDerek Anderson (born 1974), Professional basketball playerDerek Fisher (born 1974), American basketball playerDerek Grimm (born 1974), American basketball playerDerek Harper (born 1961), American basketball player and TV sports anchorDerek Hood (born 1976), American basketball playerDerek Smith, (1961–1996), American basketball playerDerek Strong (born 1968), American basketball player and racing driverBoxing and wrestling
Derek Bryant (born 1971), American heavyweight boxerDereck Chisora (born 1983), British heavyweight boxerDerek Couch aka Robbie McAllister, Scottish member of Canadian tag wrestling team The HighlandersDerek Burney Jr. (born 1962), Canadian corporate senior executiveDerek Lambie (born 1975), Scottish newspaper editorDerek Smith, American business executiveDerek Bell (born 1941), F1 racing car driverDerek Daly (born 1953), Irish F1 racing car driverDerek Higgins (born 1966), Irish Indy Lights racing car driverDerek Hill (born 1975), American former Formula 3000 driverDerek Ringer (born 1956), Scottish rally driverDerek Warwick (born 1954), English F1 racing car driverDerek de Boorder (born 1985), New Zealand cricketerDerek Crookes (born 1969), South African cricketerDerek Hall (1932–1983), English cricketerDerek Heasley (born 1972), Irish cricketerDerek Kenway (born 1978), English cricketerDerek Morgan (born 1929), English cricketerDerek Pringle (born 1958), English cricketer and cricket journalistDerek Randall (born 1951), English cricketerDerek Sealy (born 1912), West Indian cricketerDerek Shackleton (1924–2007), English cricketerDerek Stirling (born 1961), New Zealand cricketerDerek Ufton (born 1928), English cricketerDerek Underwood (born 1945), English cricketerDerek Varnals (born 1935), South African cricketerDerek Drymon (born 1965), American writer and storyboard artistDerek Ford (1932–1995), English film director/writerDerek Harvie (born 1971), Canadian entertainment writer and producer, living in the U.S.Derek R. Hill, film production designerDerek Hough (born 1985), American dancer, choreographer, musician and actorDerek Jarman (1942–1994), English film director, stage designer, artist and writerDerek Lamb (1936–2005), American animation film-maker and producerDerek Malcolm (born 1932), British film criticDerek Meddings (1931–1995), British TV and cinema special effects expertDerek Rath, photographer and radio programmerDerek Smart, controversial designer of video gamesDerek Yee (born 1957), Hong Kong film directorDerek Abney (born 1980), American football wide receiverDerek Anderson (born 1983), NFL quarterbackDerek Darnell Brown (born 1971), American football playerDerek Cassidy (born 1986), American football playerDerek Combs (born 1979), American football playerDerek Cox (born 1986), American football playerDerek Curry (born 1981), American football playerDerek Dennis (born 1988), American football playerDerek Dooley (born c. 1968), American football player and coachDerek Hagan (born 1984), American football player (wide receiver)Derek Rackley (born 1977), American football player (tight end)Derek Smith (born 1975), American football player (linebacker)Derek Smith (born 1980), American football player (tight end)Derek Asamoah (born 1981), Ghanaian footballer playing in KoreaDerek Bell (footballer) (born 1956), English football playerDerek Bellotti (born 1946), English football playerDerek Boateng (born 1983), Ghanaian footballerDerek Collins (born 1969), Scottish footballer and football coachDerek Dawkins (born 1959), English professional footballerDerek Dooley (1929–2008), English footballer, manager and club chairmanDerek Dougan (1938–2007), Northern Irish footballer and club chairmanDerek Fazackerley (born 1951), English footballer and coachDerek Ferguson (born 1967), Scottish footballer and club managerDerek Geary (born 1980), Irish footballer who played in EnglandDerek Hales (born 1951), English footballerDerek Hawksworth (born 1927), English footballerDerek Holmes (born 1978), Scottish footballerDerek Johnstone (born 1953), Scottish footballerDerek Kevan (born 1935), English footballerDerek Lilley (born 1974), Scottish footballerDerek Lyle (born 1981), Scottish footballerDerek McInnes (born 1971), Scottish footballerDerek Mountfield (born 1962), English footballerDerek Niven (born 1983), Scottish footballerDerek Pace (1932–1989), English footballerDerek Parker (born 1926), English footballerDerek Parkin (born 1948), English footballerDerek Parlane (born 1953), Scottish footballerDerek Phillips (born 1975), Trinidad and Tobago footballerDerek Popovich (born 1981), American footballer (soccer)Derek Rae (born 1967), Scottish soccer commentatorDerek Reeves (1934–1995), English footballerDerek Riordan (born 1983), Scottish footballer (striker)Derek Rodier (born 1959), Scottish footballerDerek Saunders (born 1928), English footballerDerek Shaw, English football club chairmanDerek Smethurst (born 1948), South African footballer, author and sports consultantDerek Soutar (born 1981), Scottish footballer (goalkeeper)Derek Stillie (born 1973), Scottish footballer (goalkeeper)Derek Tapscott (born 1932), Welsh footballerDerek Temple (born 1938), English footballerDerek Tracey (born 1971), Irish footballerDerek Whyte (born 1968), Scottish footballerDerek Edwards, rugby league footballer for Great Britain, Yorkshire, and CastlefordDerek Hallas, rugby union and rugby league footballer for Yorkshire (RU), Roundhay, Great Britain (RL), Yorkshire, Keighley, Leeds, and Parramatta EelsDerek Howes, rugby league footballer for Wales, and Wakefield TrinityDerek Murray (Gaelic footballer) Irish Gaelic footballerDerek Noonan, rugby union and rugby league footballer for St. Helens (RU), England (RL), Lancashire, Warrington, St. Helens, and FulhamDerek Turner (born 1933), rugby league footballer for Great Britain, England, Yorkshire, Hull Kingston Rovers, Oldham, and Wakefield TrinityDerek Quinnell (born 1949), Welsh rugby union playerDerek Whitehead, rugby league footballer for Great Britain, Lancashire, Swinton, Oldham and WarringtonDerek Woodcock, Australian Rules football field umpireDerek and the Dominos (active 1970–1971), blues-rock groupDerek Almstead (born 1974), musician/engineerDerek Bailey (1930–2005), jazz guitaristDerek Barbosa a.k.a. Chino XL (born 1971), American rapperDerek Bell (musician) (1935–2002), Irish harpist and composerDerek Bermel (born 1967), American composer, clarinetist and conductorDerek Bloom, drummer of From First to LastDerek Boland a.k.a. Derek B and EZQ (born 1965), British dj and rapperDerek Bourgeois(born 1941), English composerDerek Charke (born 1974), Canadian composer and flutistDerek Dick a.k.a. Fish (born 1958), Scottish progressive rock singer/songwriterDerek Forbes (born 1956), Scottish bassistDerek Fudesco, bassist and vocalist with indie rock band Pretty Girls Make GravesDerek Gledhill, American drummer member of alternative rock/post-grunge music group Smile Empty SoulDerek Grant (drummer) (born 1977), drummer for punk band Alkaline TrioDerek Hammond-Stroud (born 1926), English opera singerDerek Leckenby (1943–1994), English musician and guitarist, member of Herman's HermitsDerek Longmuir (born 1951), drummer with the Bay City RollersDerek Murphy (born 1968) a.k.a. Sadat X and Derek X, American rapperDerek Murphy, American drummer and session musicianDerek O'Brien (born 1963), drummer and music producerDerek Oldham (1887–1968), English tenorDerek Paravicini (born 1979), English blind autistic savant and musical prodigyDerek Pascoe (born 1957), American vocalistDerek Pressnall, guitarist for the indie-pop group Tilly and the WallDerek Lee Ragin (born 1958), American singerDerek Lee Rock a.k.a. Derek Lee Smith (born 1984), drummer in Suburban LegendsDerek Sherinian (born 1966), American keyboard musician, composer and producerDerek Shulman (born 1947), Scottish singer/instrumentalist and record executiveDerek Sivers (born 1969) founder and former president of CD BabyDerek Vincent Smith, a.k.a. Pretty Lights (born 1979), American electronic musicianDerek St. Holmes (born 1953), rock musicianDerek Thompson a.k.a. Hoodlum Priest, musician and record producer and engineerDerek Trucks (born 1979), American blues-rock guitaristDerek Wadsworth (born 1939), British composer and arrangerDerek Warfield (born 1943), Irish singer/songwriter and historianDerek Webb (born 1974), American singer/songwriterDerek Youngsma American drummer member of metalcore band Bleeding ThroughDerek Campos (born 1988), American mixed martial artistDerek Hardiman (born 1981), Irish hurling playerDerek Keenan (born 1961), Canadian lacrosse playerDerek Lyng (born 1978), Irish hurling playerDerek Malawsky (born 1973), Canadian lacrosse playerDerek Oldbury a.k.a. DEO (1924–1994), British draughts champion and writer on the gameDerek Piggott (born 1922), British glider pilotDerek Porter (born 1967), Canadian rowerDerek Poundstone (born 1981), American professional strongmanDerek Trent (born 1980), American ice skater (pairs)Derek Besant (born 1950), Canadian artistDerek Boshier (born 1937), British pop artistDerek Brueckner, (born 1965) Canadian artistDerek Buckner, American realistic painterDerek Erdman (born 1973), American artistDerek Fordjour, artist/painter and documentary producerDerek Hess, American poster and album-cover artistDerek Hill (1916–2000), English portrait and landscape painterDerek Kim (born 1974), American cartoonistDerek Riggs (born 1958), British artistDerek Barber a.k.a. Baron Barber of Tewkesbury (born 1918), British civil servant, agricultural expert and politicianDerek Beackon, English lorry driver and politicianDerek Bedson (1920–1989), Canadian civil servantDerek Blackburn (born 1934), Canadian politicianDerek Brownlee (born 1974), Scottish politicianDerek Bryan (1910–2003), British diplomatDerek Burney (born 1939), Canadian businessman, diplomat and political strategistDerek Clark (born 1933), British politician and science teacherDerek Conway (born 1953), British politicianDerek Coombs (born 1931), British politician and corporate executiveDerek Corrigan, Canadian politicianDerek Croxton American history researcher and writerDerek Denton (born 1924), Australian scientistDerek Draper (born 1967), English former lobbyist involved in Cash for Access scandal in 1999, subsequently a psychotherapistDerek Enright (1935–1995), British politicianDerek Ezra a.k.a. Baron Ezra (born 1919) British politician and corporate executiveDerek Fatchett (1945–1999), British politicianDerek Fletcher (born 1951), Canadian politician born in EnglandDerek Foster (born 1937), British politicianDerek Freeman (1916–2001), New Zealand anthropologistDerek Gregory (born 1951), British geographerDerek Hatton (born 1948), English politician, businessman and after-dinner speakerDerek Holland (activist), British politician and writer who uses several pen-names: Harry Worthington, Rory O'Connor, D. Liam O'Huallachain, Derek O'Huallachain, and Deric O'HuallachainDerek Humphry (born 1930), writer of the suicide handbook Final Exit and president of the Euthanasia Research & Guidance OrganizationDerek Hussey (born 1948), Northern Irish politicianDerek Insley, Canadian politicianDerek Keppel (1863–1944), British nobleman, soldier and member of the royal householdDerek Laud (born 1964), English political lobbyistDerek Lee (born 1948), Canadian lawyer and politicianDerek Lodge (1929–1996), English civil servant and statisticianDerek McDowell (born 1958), Irish politicianDerek Mooney (born 1962), Irish ministerial adviser and [(Fianna Fáil)] campaign managerDerek Moore-Brabazon (1910–1974), a UK baron - 2nd Baron Brabazon of TaraDerek Morris, British academic formerly chairperson of the Competition CommissionDerek Nally (born 1936), policeman, campaigner and politicianDerek Oulton (born 1927), lawyer and civil servantDerek Page (1927–2005) a.k.a. Baron Whaddon, British politicianDerek Prag, British politicianDerek Quigley (born 1932), New Zealand politicianDerek Robinson a.k.a. Red Tobbo, British motor industry shop stewardDerek Schofield, Chief Justice of GibraltarDerek Simpson (born 1944), British trade unionistDerek Spencer (born 1936), British politicianDerek Taylor (born 1951), Caribbean politicianDerek Twigg (born 1959) English politicianDerek James Walding (born 1937), Canadian politician, born in EnglandDerek Walker-Smith a.k.a. Baron Broxbourne (1910–1992), British politicianDerek Wall, British politicianDerek Watkins British docker shop steward member of the "Pentonville Five"Derek Watson (retired 2002), British churchman"Derek Wee", name used in a controversial blog by Wee Siew Kim (born 1960), Singaporean politicianDerek Wells (born 1946), Canadian politician and lawyerDerek Worlock (1920–1996), British Roman Catholic bishopDerek Wyatt (born 1949), British politicianScience, education and academic
Derek Abbott (born 1960), physicist and electronic engineerDerek Barton (1918–1998), British physical chemist and Nobel Prize LaureateDerek Bickerton (born 1926), linguist and academicDerek Birley (1926–2002), academic and educatorDerek Blake, academic and research scientistDerek Bok (born 1930), American lawyer and educatorDerek Briggs (born c. 1945), Irish paleontologistDerek Denny-Brown (1901–1981), British neurologistDerek Hirst (born 1948), English historian of early-modern BritainDerek Hockridge, British translator, lecturer and expert in French society and cultureDerek Hopwood, British academic and authorDerek Long (born 1925), former professor of structural chemistry at the University of Bradford, working in the field of Raman spectroscopyDerek McCormack, New Zealand biochemist and academicDerek Morley (1920–1969) independent science consultant and journalist noted for study of antsDerek Parfit (born 1942), British philosopher and academicDerek Price (1922–1983), information scientist and science historianDerek Ratcliffe (1929–2005), British nature conservationistDerek Roe, British paleolithic archeologist and academicDerek Summerfield controversial psychiatrist and writerDerek Taunt (1917–2004), British mathematician and codebreakerDerek van der Kooy (born c. 1955), scientist and academic working in stem cell researchDerek Armstrong (born 1973), Canadian Professional Hockey CentermanDerek Boogaard (1982–2011), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Campbell (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Joslin (born 1987), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek King (born 1967), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek MacKenzie (born 1981), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Meech (born 1984), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Morris (born 1978), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Parra (born 1970), Mexican-American speed skater (ice)Derek Plante (born 1971), American ice hockey playerDerek Roy (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Sanderson (born 1946), Canadian ice hockey player and business executiveDerek Smith, (born 1954), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Smith, (born 1984), Canadian ice hockey playerDerek Beaulieu (born 1973), Canadian poet, publisher and anthologistDerek Benz, American author of children's fantasyDerek Hansen (born 1944), New Zealand/Australia fiction writer, born in EnglandDerek Jameson (born 1929), British journalistDerek Landy (born 1974), Irish author and screenwriterDerek Mahon (born 1941), Irish poetDerek Marlowe (1938–1996), English playwright, novelist and screenwriterDerek McCormack, Canadian fiction writerDerek Parker (born 1932), British writer and broadcasterDerek Raymond a.k.a. Robert Cook (1931–1994), English noir writerDerek Robinson (born 1932), British military aviation novelist and pilotDerek Tangye (1912–1996), English authorDerek Taylor (1932–1997), British journalist and press agent for The BeatlesDerek Turner (born 1964), Irish journalistDerek Walcott (born 1930), West Indian poet, playwright, writer and visual artistDerek Wood (1930–2003), author of Jane's World Aircraft Recognition HandbookDerek Bentley (1933–1953), Englishman hanged for murder and subsequently pardonedDerek Anthony Seagrim (1903–1943), English soldier and recipient of the Victoria CrossDerek Wood (c. 1964–1988), one of two British soldiers killed in the 1988 Corporals killings incidentDerrekDerrek Konrad (born 1943), Canadian politicianDerrek Lee (born 1975), American former baseball playerDerricksee Derrick (name)DerickDerick Heathcoat-Amory (1899–1981), British politicianDerick Armstrong (born 1979), American CFL football playerDerick Brassard (born 1987), Canadian hockey playerDerick Etwaroo (born 1964), Guyanese-born Canadian cricketerDerick K. Grant (born 1973), American tap dancer and choreographerDerick Hougaard (born 1983), South African rugby playerDerick Parry (born 1954), West Indian cricketerDerick Thomson (1921–2012), Scottish poetsee also Special:Prefixindex/Derick
DeryckDeryck Guyler (1914–1999), English actorDeryck Whibley (born 1980), Canadian singer-songwriterUnlike 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).
Derek and Clive, controversial cult characters portrayed by Dudley Moore and Peter CookDerek the dark green diesel, character from Thomas the Tank EngineDerek, character from the TV series Barney and Friends and Barney and the Backyard GangDerek the Midget, character played by radio personality ShuliDerek the Sheep, eponymous character in a comic strip in the BeanoDerek Almond, character in the graphic novel V for VendettaDerek Blunt, anthropomorphic hawk in Darkwing DuckDerek Branning, character in the BBC soap EastEndersDerek Conway, character in British TV series The BillDerek Flint, eponymous character in Our Man FlintDerek Frye, character in the ABC soap opera All My ChildrenDerek Harkinson, character in the BBC soap EastEndersDerek Hale, character in Teen WolfDerek Jupiter, the lead singer of the fictional band "Iron Weasel" from I'm in the BandDerek Klivian, pilot in the Rogue Squadron from Star WarsDerek Morgan, senior special agent in Criminal MindsDerek Noakes, eponymous character in the comedy-drama pilot Derek, created, written and played by Ricky GervaisDerek O'Farrell, character in the British soap BrooksideDerek Powers a.k.a. Blight, supervillain in the animated series Batman BeyondDerek Shepherd former Head of Neurosurgery at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, in the American medical series Grey's AnatomyDerek Smalls, character in the spoof rockumentary This Is Spinal TapDerek Stevens, character in Saturday Night Live musical sketchesDerek Stiles, character in the Trauma Center series of video gamesDerek Trotter, character in the TV comedy series Only Fools and HorsesDerek Venturi, title character in the Canadian TV show Life with DerekDerek Vinyard in American History XDerek Wheeler a.k.a. "Wheels", character in the Degrassi seriesDerek Wilton, character in the TV soap Coronation StreetDerek Zoolander, eponymous character in the film ZoolanderPrince Derek, Son of Queen Uberta, character in The Swan PrincessSgt. Derek "Frost" Westbrook, a character in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Since 1940, the name Derek was most popular in the 1980s in the United States.
