Diedrich
A German surname from the old personal name Dietrich, meaning “ruler of the people.”
The #8,956 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,472 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Diedrich is a German surname built from the old given name Dietrich, a traditional German form of Theodoric. That name comes from Germanic elements meaning “people” and “ruler,” so the underlying sense is “ruler of the people.” The surname likely began as a patronymic or inherited family name from an ancestor with that personal name.
History
The surname is found in German-speaking areas and later in countries with German immigration, including the United States. Spelling variants reflect older and regional forms of the same name, especially connections with Dietrich and related forms such as Diederich. In English-language records it may also appear in Americanized family lines that preserved the German spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same name family also produced the famous medieval name Theodoric, borne by Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great.
From the historical record
“nance ; Duramnus aurait autant de droits à être une forme de Thiudram que Diedrich en a à être une forme de Thiudrich. De ce qui précède, je crois pou- voir tirer ces conclusions :”
— Dictionnaire des noms (French surnames)