UK boy's name
Dermot
An Irish masculine given name derived from the Gaelic Diarmaid meaning "free from envy".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Dermot is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Dermot popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4702, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 12 births.
This profile covers 121 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 1996 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 25% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 205 living people in the UK are called Dermot. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Dermot ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 12 boys were registered as Dermot.
- • Dermot ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #415 in 2017.
- • About 205 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dermot as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4702
2019
Births in 2019
3
Latest year
Peak year
2000
12 births
Estimated living
205
2026
Meaning
What does Dermot mean?
The name Dermot is a given name of Irish origin, derived from the Old Irish name Diarmaid. It is believed to have been composed of the elements "diar" meaning "free" and "mait" meaning "patience" or "lover". The name can be translated to mean "freeman" or "free revered one".
In Irish mythology, Diarmaid Ua Duibhne was a legendary warrior and member of the Fianna, the elite military force of ancient Irish folklore. He features prominently in the epic narrative known as the Fenian Cycle, which includes tales of the exploits of Finn MacCool and his band of warriors.
The earliest recorded use of the name Dermot dates back to the 12th century, when it was borne by Diarmait Mac Murchada, the King of Leinster from 1126 to 1171. His conflict with the High King of Ireland, Ruaidri Ua Conchobair, ultimately led to the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169.
Another notable figure in history with the name Dermot was Dermot O'Hurley (1519-1584), an Irish Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cashel who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I for refusing to acknowledge her as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
In the 18th century, Dermot O'Leary (1736-1814) was an Irish author and political writer who published works on the history and antiquities of Ireland.
Dermot Morgan (1952-1998) was a popular Irish comedian and actor best known for his portrayal of Father Ted Crilly in the sitcom "Father Ted".
Dermot Mulroney (born 1963) is an American actor who has appeared in films such as "My Best Friend's Wedding", "The Family Stone", and "August: Osage County".
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Dermot over time
The chart below shows babies named Dermot registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Dermot, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2019, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dermot by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dermot was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4077 | 24 | 6 |
| 2000s | #1967 | 77 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2259 | 20 | 4 |
Geography
Where Dermot is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Dermot. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Dermot ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #415 in 2017.
Across the UK
Dermot in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#548 in 2010
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#415 in 2017
16 years of NISRA records, 79 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Dermot
-
Dermot Mee
association football player
Northern Irish footballer
2002-
-
Dermot McBride
Gaelic football player
Gaelic football player
1988-
-
Dermot McCaffrey
association football player
Northern Irish footballer (born 1986)
1986-
-
Dermot O'Leary
writer; television presenter; radio personality
English television presenter
1973-
-
Dermot Heaney
Gaelic football player
Gaelic football player
1971-
-
Dermot McNicholl
Australian rules football player; Gaelic football player
Gaelic and Australian rules footballer
1965-
-
Dermot Reeve
cricketer
English Test and County cricketer, coach, broadcaster (born 1963)
1963-
-
Dermot Hudson
political activist
British political activist
1961-
Related
Names similar to Dermot
- Daniel 120,900
- Dylan 60,836
- David 37,852
- Dominic 20,480
- Declan 11,657
- Dexter 11,627
- Danny 8,434
- Dean 5,329
- Dillon 4,113
- Douglas 3,773
- Dominik 3,494
- Damian 3,486
FAQ
Dermot: questions and answers
How popular is the name Dermot in the UK right now?
In 2019, Dermot was ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Dermot most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 12 babies registered as Dermot in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Dermot?
An Irish masculine given name derived from the Gaelic Diarmaid meaning "free from envy".
How many people are called Dermot in the UK?
A total of 121 babies have been registered as Dermot across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland and 79 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Dermot most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Dermot ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #415 in 2017. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.