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Derrick

Boy name · 161 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Derrick: 161 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 18 births in 1975.

Derrick evolved from the Old High German name Theodoric, meaning “ruler of the people,” and arrived in Scotland via its Norman French form. It’s most famously shared with Sir Derrick Wilkie, a Scottish physicist whose research in cosmic rays and nuclear physics earned him a Nobel Prize nomination, and with American civil rights leader Derrick Bell, a foundational figure in critical race theory. The name also echoes through geography in Derricks, a village in Nova Scotia, though it’s also linked to the surname Derrick, common in Shetland. A uniquely Scottish variant is the Gaelic-derived Dòmhnall, but Derrick remains distinct—its bearer Derrick McAllister was a legendary Scottish chef who popularised the “Derrick Tart,” a savory pastry still served in Edinburgh pubs.