Diederich

Diederich is an archaic German form of a name derived from the Old High German elements theud, meaning people or folk, and rīh, meaning power or ruler, giving the overall sense of ruler of the people. It belongs to the same family as Dietrich, the more common modern German form, and is cognate with the Dutch Diederik as well as the Latinized Theodoricus. The name was widespread among Germanic-speaking peoples throughout the medieval period, carried by rulers and nobles across the Holy Roman Empire.