Dirk

Dirk is a Low German and Dutch short form of Diederik, itself the regional equivalent of Theodoric, a Germanic name composed of the elements theud meaning people and ric meaning power or ruler. The name was common in the medieval Low Countries and remains a traditional given name in the Netherlands and northern Germany. It gained some use in the English-speaking world, partly through Scottish and Dutch immigrant communities. Theodoric, Derek, Derk, Dederick, and Dirck are closely related forms.