Derrick

Derrick is an English given name derived from the medieval Dutch and Low German form Diederik, itself a variant of the old Germanic name Theodoric, composed of the elements theud meaning people or nation and ric meaning power or ruler. The name was introduced to England through contact with the Low Countries during the medieval period and became established as a distinctly English form. A notable historical association is with a 16th- or 17th-century English hangman surnamed Derrick, whose name became the source of the word derrick, later applied to hoisting devices resembling a gallows. Related forms include Derek, Derick, Theodoric, and Dirk.