Dietrich

Dietrich is a German form of Theodoric, a name built from Germanic elements for a people and a ruler or power. Its meaning is commonly expressed as “ruler of the people.” The name belongs to a long-established European family that also includes Dutch Diederik and, through later development, English Derek.

Dietrich can be either a given name or a surname. Marlene Dietrich made the surname internationally recognizable, while the singer and conductor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau provides a notable example of the first name. Those associations place it within both film and classical music history.