Till

Till is a German short form of Dietrich, derived from the Old High German elements theud, meaning people or nation, and rih, meaning ruler or king. The name gained wide cultural prominence through the medieval German folk tales surrounding Till Eulenspiegel, a roguish trickster figure whose stories were first compiled in print in the early sixteenth century and later inspired works by Richard Strauss and others. The form Til appears as a variant spelling, while the full form Dietrich and its Dutch cognate Dirk share the same Germanic roots.