Derek
/ˈdɛr.ɪk/noun
A male given name.
Did you know?Derek is an English form of a name ultimately tied to the Germanic element *þeudō* meaning “people” and *rīks* meaning “ruler,” the same old power-language behind several royal names.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þeudō-rīks
““people-ruler” or “ruler of the people””
Late Latin
Latin
Theodoricus
“Latinized form of a Germanic royal name”
Old French
Old French
Thierri
“A French form of the name”
Middle English
English
Deryk
“A variant spelling of the given name”
Modern English
English
Derek
“A masculine given name”