Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1954

Dirk

Meaning Borrowed from Dutch and North German Dirk Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,747 Trend ↓ Falling 24%

Borrowed from Dutch and North German Dirk.

Rank 2025
#4,747
among boys · ↑2,189 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named Dirk
How common
1 in 81,337
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1954
438 babies
All-time total
10,955
#1,145 all-time among boys
First recorded
1918
in Social Security records

Dirk popularity over time

10,955 babies have been named Dirk since 1918, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1954Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 6 1 – #3,834
1920s 71 7 +1083% #2,024
1930s 188 19 +165% #1,244
1940s 369 37 +96% #779
1950s 2,688 269 +628% #341
1960s 3,310 331 +23% #405
1970s 1,796 180 -46% #442
1980s 1,156 116 -36% #714
1990s 581 58 -50% #1,206
2000s 395 40 -32% #2,231
2010s 279 28 -29% #2,916
2020s (to 2025) 116 19 -31% #4,046

Where Dirk is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 20 0.01 outside top 500
2028 19 0.01 outside top 500
2029 19 0.01 outside top 500
2030 18 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Dirk

Dirk is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,747 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1918, 10,955 American babies have been named Dirk. Its peak came in 1954, when 438 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Dirk stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Dirk?

The median living Dirk is about 57 years old; half are between 44 and 65. An estimated 9,100 people named Dirk are alive in the United States today.

median 57 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Dirk year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 21 #4,747
2024 12 #6,936
2023 20 #4,924
2022 19 #5,075
2021 19 #4,973
2020 25 #4,046
2019 31 #3,589
2018 18 #5,154
2017 34 #3,331
2016 24 #4,226
2015 25 #4,105
2014 27 #3,819
2013 26 #3,889
2012 27 #3,824
2011 40 #2,916
2010 27 #3,839
2009 38 #3,064
2008 42 #2,843
2007 43 #2,772
2006 46 #2,595
2005 50 #2,340
2004 27 #3,477
2003 47 #2,286
2002 25 #3,477
2001 33 #2,820
2000 44 #2,231
1995 49 #1,785
1990 82 #1,206
1985 112 #852
1980 148 #714
1975 159 #650
1970 342 #442
1965 302 #446
1960 363 #417
1955 377 #371
1950 94 #707
1945 33 #1,142
1940 20 #1,532
1935 19 #1,603
1930 13 #2,209
1925 12 #2,471
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Dirk

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Nowitzki German basketball player (born 1978) Contemporary
  2. 2 Dirk Benedict Dirk Benedict American actor (born 1945) Contemporary
  3. 3 Dirk Bogarde Dirk Bogarde English actor (1921–1999) Contemporary
  4. 4 Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt Dutch football manager (born 1980) Contemporary
  5. 5 Dirk Kempthorne Dirk Kempthorne American politician (1951–2026) Contemporary
  6. 6 Dirk Hartog Dirk Hartog Dutch sailor and explorer (1580–1621) 16th century
  7. 7 Dirk Jan de Geer Dirk Jan de Geer Dutch politician (1870–1960) 19th century
  8. 8 Dirk Schuster Dirk Schuster German footballer (born 1967) Contemporary
  9. 9 Dirk Bach Dirk Bach German actor, comedian and presenter (1961–2012) Contemporary
  10. 10 Dirk III, Count of Holland Count of Holland from 993 to 1039 982–1039 · Medieval
  11. 11 Dirk Stikker Politician, Netherlands 1897–1979 · 19th century
  12. 12 Dirk II, Count of Holland Count of West Frisia 901–988 · Medieval
  13. 13 Dirk Frimout Dirk Frimout Belgian astronaut (born 1941) Contemporary
  14. 14 Dirk I, Count of Holland Count of West Frisia 875–939 · Medieval
  15. 15 Dirk Coster Dirk Coster Dutch physicist (1889–1950) 19th century
  16. 16 Dirk V, Count of Holland Dirk V, Count of Holland First Count of the Northern Netherlands 1053–1091 · Medieval
  17. 17 Dirk VI, Count of Holland Count of Holland 1114–1157 · Medieval
  18. 18 Dirk Marcellis Dirk Marcellis Dutch footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
  19. 19 Dirk VII, Count of Holland Dirk VII, Count of Holland Count of Holland from 1190 to 1203 1200–1203 · Medieval
  20. 20 Dirk Lehmann Dirk Lehmann German footballer b. 1971 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Dirk, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Dirk?

The median living Dirk is about 57 years old. Half of all living Dirks are between 44 and 65 years old.

How many people named Dirk are alive today?

An estimated 9,100 people named Dirk are alive in the United States, based on 10,955 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Dirk mean?

Borrowed from Dutch and North German Dirk.

How popular is the name Dirk in 2025?

Dirk ranked #4,747 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Dirk?

10,955 babies have been named Dirk in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Dirk most popular?

Dirk peaked in 1954, when 438 newborns received the name.

Is Dirk a boy or girl name?

Dirk is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Dirk rising or falling?

Dirk is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Dirk become more popular?

Dirk is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 boys named Dirk in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Dirk?

Well-known people named Dirk include Dirk Nowitzki (basketball player), Dirk Benedict (actor), Dirk Bogarde (actor).

Names like Dirk

Names that sound and feel close to Dirk: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Dirk with similar names → More names starting with D →