[1] He was the father and mentor of Henry Deringer Jr, whose name is now synonymous with small basic pistols known as derringers,[2] (a misspelling of the family name that continues to this day).
The name Deringer stems from the High German "Thüringer," which means "native of Thuringia," a Federal Land of central Germany.
[4] The family moved to Philadelphia in 1806, where Deringer continued to develop the rifle, notably narrowing the stock, adding a more crescent shaped butt-plate, and decorating with more inlay work than on previous models.
Deringer's son joined as an apprentice in the early 19th century, and produced the famous small pistol in 1825.
[3] Deringer died December 28, 1833, and is buried in the Easton German Reformed Graveyard in Northampton, Pennsylvania.