Derek


Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of Diederik, the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler" or "lead the people".
Common variants of the name are Derrek, Derik, Deryck, as well as Derrick and Derick.

History

The English form of the name arises in the 15th century, via import from the Low Countries. The native English 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 made Earl of Albemarle in the Peerage of England.

Given name "Derek"

Arts and entertainment

A–M

  • Derek Acorah, British TV personality
  • Derek Almstead, musician/engineer
  • Derek and the Dominos, blues-rock group
  • Derek Andersen, one half of the DJ duo SLANDER
  • Derek Bailey , jazz guitarist
  • Derek Barbosa, a.k.a. Chino XL, American rapper
  • Derek Batey, British TV presenter
  • Derek Bell , Irish harpist and composer
  • Derek Benfield, British actor and playwright
  • Derek Bermel, American composer, clarinetist and conductor
  • Derek Michael Besant, Canadian artist
  • Derek Bloom, drummer of From First to Last
  • Derek Bogaerde, birth name of Dirk Bogarde, British actor of Dutch/Scottish ancestry
  • Derek Boland, a.k.a. Derek B, British DJ and rapper
  • Derek Bond, actor, director and playwright
  • Derek Boshier, British pop artist
  • Derek Bourgeois, English composer
  • Derek Brockway, Welsh meteorologist and TV presenter
  • Derek Buckner, American realistic painter
  • Derek Cecil, American actor
  • Derek Charke, Canadian composer and flutist
  • Derek de Lint, Dutch actor
  • Derek Deadman, British actor
  • Derek Dick, a.k.a. Fish, Scottish progressive rock singer/songwriter
  • Derek Dingle, English close-up magician who lived in New York
  • Derek Drymon, American writer and storyboard artist
  • Derek Edwards, Canadian stand-up comedian and actor
  • Derek Elphinstone, British actor
  • Derek Erdman, American artist
  • Derek Forbes, Scottish bassist
  • Derek Ford, English film director/writer
  • Derek Fordjour, artist/painter and documentary producer
  • Derek Fowlds, English actor
  • Derek Francis, British comedy and character actor
  • Derek Fudesco, bassist and vocalist with indie rock band Pretty Girls Make Graves
  • Derek Gledhill, American drummer member of alternative rock/post-grunge music group Smile Empty Soul
  • Derek Grant , drummer for punk band Alkaline Trio
  • Derek Griffiths, British actor
  • Derek Guille, Australian radio presenter
  • Derek Hallworth, British television director
  • Derek Hammond-Stroud, English opera singer
  • Derek Hartley, American radio talk-show host
  • Derek Harvie, Canadian entertainment writer and producer, living in the U.S.
  • Derek Hess, American poster and album-cover artist
  • Derek Hill , English portrait and landscape painter
  • Derek R. Hill, film production designer
  • Derek Hough, American dancer, choreographer, musician and actor
  • Derek Jacobi, English actor and director
  • Derek Jarman, English film director, stage designer, artist and writer
  • Derek, a stage name, along with Johnny Cymbal, of Scottish-born American songwriter, singer and record producer born John Hendry Blair
  • Derek Kirk Kim, American cartoonist
  • Derek Kok, Hong Kong actor
  • Derek Lamb, American animation film-maker and producer
  • Derek Leckenby, English musician and guitarist, member of Herman's Hermits
  • Derek Longmuir, drummer with the Bay City Rollers
  • Derek Luke, American actor
  • Derek Lynch, Canadian race car driver
  • Derek Malcolm, British film critic
  • Derek Martin, English actor
  • Derek McCulloch, BBC radio presenter and producer
  • Derek McGrath, Canadian actor
  • Derek Meddings, British TV and cinema special effects expert
  • Derek Mooney, Irish radio and TV personality and producer
  • Derek Murphy, American drummer and session musician

    N–Z

  • Derek Newark, English actor
  • Derek Nimmo, English character actor
  • Derek O'Brien , drummer and music producer
  • Derek Oldham, English tenor
  • Derek Paravicini, English blind autistic savant and musical prodigy
  • Derek Pascoe, American vocalist
  • Derek Pressnall, guitarist for the indie-pop group Tilly and the Wall
  • Derek Piotr, folklorist and musician
  • Derek Prince, American Christian radio preacher
  • Derek Lee Ragin, American singer
  • Derek Richardson , American actor
  • Derek Riggs, British artist
  • Derek Riordan, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Rodier, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Royle, English actor
  • Derek Sanderson, Canadian ice hockey player and business executive
  • Derek Saunders, English footballer
  • Derek Sealy, West Indian cricketer
  • Derek Shackleton, English cricketer
  • Derek Shaw, English football club chairman
  • Derek Sherinian, American keyboard musician, composer and producer
  • Derek Shulman, Scottish singer/instrumentalist and record executive
  • Derek Smart, controversial designer of video games
  • Derek Smethurst, South African footballer, author and sports consultant
  • Derek Smith,, American basketball player
  • Derek Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Smith , American football player
  • Derek Smith , American football player
  • Derek Smith, a.k.a. Pretty Lights, American electronic musician
  • Derek Soutar, Scottish football goalkeeper
  • Derek St. Holmes, rock musician
  • Derek Stephen Prince, American voice actor and radio host
  • Derek Stillie, Scottish football goalkeeper
  • Derek Stirling, New Zealand cricketer
  • Derek Strong, American basketball player and racing driver
  • Derek Tapscott, Welsh footballer
  • Derek Taylor, Canadian news anchor and sportscaster
  • Derek Temple, English footballer
  • Derek Thompson , Northern Irish TV actor
  • Derek Thompson , British horse racing commentator and presenter
  • Derek Thompson, a.k.a. Hoodlum Priest, musician and record producer and engineer
  • Derek Tracey, Irish footballer
  • Derek Trent, American ice skater
  • Derek Trucks, American blues-rock guitarist
  • Derek Turner, rugby league footballer
  • Derek Ufton, English cricketer
  • Derek Underwood, English cricketer
  • Derek Varnals, South African cricketer
  • Derek Verret, American conspiracy theorist, convicted felon, alternative therapist and shaman
  • Derek Wadsworth, British composer and arranger
  • Derek Warfield, Irish singer/songwriter and historian
  • Derek Waring, born Derek Barton-Chapple, English actor
  • Derek Warwick, English F1 racing car driver
  • Derek Waters, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer and director
  • Derek Webb, American singer-songwriter
  • Derek Whitehead, English rugby league footballer
  • Derek Whyte, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Woodcock, Australian rules football field umpire
  • Derek X, a stage name, along with Sadat X, of American rapper Derek Murphy
  • Derek Yee, Hong Kong film director
  • Derek Young, Scottish ex-professional association football midfielder
  • Derek Yu, American independent game designer, video game artist, and blogger

    Sports

A–M

  • Derek Abney, American football wide receiver
  • Derek Anderson , National Football League quarterback
  • Derek Anderson , American basketball player
  • Derek Armstrong , Canadian hockey player
  • Derek Asamoah, Ghanaian footballer playing in Korea
  • Derek Barnett, American football player
  • Derek Bell , British F1 racing car driver
  • Derek Bell , American former Major League Baseball player
  • Derek Bell, English football player
  • Derek Bell, English football player
  • Derek Bellotti, English football player
  • Derek Boateng, Ghanaian footballer
  • Derek Boogaard, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Bryant , American heavyweight boxer
  • Derek Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Campos, American mixed martial artist
  • Derek Carr, American football player
  • Derek Cassidy, American football player
  • Derek Chisora, British heavyweight boxer
  • Derek Clayton, British/Australian long-distance runner
  • Derek Collins, Scottish footballer and football coach
  • Derek Combs, American football player
  • Derek Cooke, basketball player for Hapoel Gilboa Galil of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
  • Derek Couch, a.k.a. Robbie McAllister, Scottish member of Canadian tag wrestling team The Highlanders
  • Derek Cox, American football player
  • Derek Crookes, South African cricketer
  • Derek Curiel, American baseball player
  • Derek Curry, American football player
  • Derek Daly, Irish F1 racing car driver
  • Derek Darnell Brown, American football player
  • Derek Dawkins, English professional footballer
  • Derek de Boorder, New Zealand cricketer
  • Derek Dennis, American football player
  • Derek Dooley , American football player and coach
  • Derek Dooley , English footballer, manager and club chairman
  • Derek Dougan, Northern Irish footballer and club chairman
  • Derek Edwards , rugby league footballer
  • Derek Fazackerley, English footballer and coach
  • Derek Ferguson, Scottish footballer and club manager
  • Derek Fisher, American basketball player
  • Derek Forbort, American NHL defensemen
  • Derek Geary, Irish footballer who played in England
  • Derek Gee, Canadian racing cyclist
  • Derek Grimm, American basketball player
  • Derek Hagan, American football player
  • Derek Hales, English footballer
  • Derek Hall , English cricketer
  • Derek Hallas, English rugby union and rugby league footballer
  • Derek Hardiman, Irish hurling player
  • Derek Harper, American basketball player and TV sports anchor
  • Derek Hawksworth, English footballer
  • Derek Heasley, Irish cricketer
  • Derek Higgins, Irish Indy Lights racing car driver
  • Derek Hill , American former Formula 3000 driver
  • Derek Ho, American surfer
  • Derek Holland, American baseball player
  • Derek Holmes, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Hood , American basketball player
  • Derek Howes, rugby league footballer
  • Derek Ibbotson, English track athlete
  • Derek Jeter, American baseball player
  • Derek Johnson , British track athlete
  • Derek Johnstone, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Joslin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Keenan, Canadian lacrosse player
  • Derek Kenway, English cricketer
  • Derek Kevan, English footballer
  • Derek King, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Lilley, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Lilliquist American baseball player and coach
  • Derek Loccident, American Paralympic athlete
  • Derek Lowe, American baseball player
  • Derek Lyle, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Lyng, Irish hurling player
  • Derek MacKenzie, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Malawsky, Canadian lacrosse player
  • Derek McInnes, Scottish footballer
  • Derek Meech, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Miles, American pole vaulter
  • Derek Mills, American track athlete
  • Derek Morgan, English cricketer
  • Derek Morris , Canadian ice hockey player
  • Derek Mountfield, English footballer
  • Derek Murray, Irish Gaelic footballer