Dereck is a spelling variant of Derek, the English form of the Germanic Theodoric, which means "ruler of the people", from theud, people, and ric, ruler. Derek came to England through Dutch traders in the Middle Ages and became a 20th-century favorite; the -ck spelling is popular in Spanish-speaking families. Dereck ranked number 1489 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2023, peaked at number 663 in 2024 and ranks number 688 in 2025.