Derek
Meaning
"ruler of the people"
Origin: Germanic
Cultural Roots
Quick Stats
- Popularity Rank
- #258
- Total SSA Count
- 1,355
- Syllables
- 2
- Formality
- Moderate
- Nicknames
- Dere, Rick
Baby Name Comparison — 2026
"ruler of the people"
Origin: Germanic
"mine, beloved"
Origin: Scandinavian
Mia is more popular, ranked #5 vs #258 for Derek.
Historical US popularity rank — lower number means more popular.
Historical trend data not available for this comparison.
Names that pair well as siblings.
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Mia is more popular, ranked #5 compared to Derek at #258 in the United States.
Derek means "ruler of the people" (Germanic origin). Mia means "mine, beloved" (Scandinavian origin).
Derek is primarily a boy name. Mia is primarily a girl name.