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Derry

Boy / Girl name · 100 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Derry: 100 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to both boys and girls, peaking at 9 births in 2012.

Derry combines two distinct origins: as a short form of Derek it traces back to the Germanic Theodoric, meaning "ruler of the people," while as a standalone name it comes from the Irish Doire, meaning "oak grove." The place connection is immediate—Derry is the widely used name for the city in Northern Ireland (officially Londonderry), and the name has also been borne by people such as Northern Irish footballer Derry O'Brien and musician Derry Good. Fans of horror literature may recognise Derry as the fictional Maine town in Stephen King's *IT*, but the name itself has a warm, earthy feel in Scotland, where it has been used occasionally since the 1970s.

Boy 22 of 52 years

Peak year
20129 babies
Latest (2025)
#6474 babies
Total births
94since 1991
5-year trend
▼ 47%vs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2012 · 9
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).

Girl 2 of 52 years

Peak year
20013 babies
Latest (2006)
#7223 babies
Total births
6since 2001
5-year trend
≈ stablevs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2001 · 3
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).