Derek spelling
Why did Derek come to be commonly spelled ending in -ek when virtually no other English names have such an ending? I mean most have a c before the k or a c alone, and an i or o for the vowel.
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My guess is that the spelling is influenced by some prominent name bearers, most probably John Derek and Bo Derek.--elbowin
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Derek Jacobi?
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Because it's not originally English, and even so, it's also commonly spelled Derrick (like the basketballer) or Derick.
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Indeed. There are also many other spellings in addition to those already mentioned, which predominantly occurred in medieval times. To get a general idea of just how many there are or were, please see:http://dmnes.org/name/Theodoric (in English; from the Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources)
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