Find out how popular the first name Dierks has been for the last 19 years (from 2005 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Dierks by gender

Based on the last 19 years of data, Dierks is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 12 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Dierks.

The history of the first name Dierks

The given name Dierks is of German origin, derived from the Old German name Dietrich or Theodoric. This name can be traced back to the 5th century and is a compound of the Germanic elements "diet" meaning "people" and "ric" meaning "ruler" or "king." The name essentially translates to "ruler of the people."

The earliest known bearers of the name Dierks were Germanic tribes, particularly the Ostrogoths and Visigoths, who inhabited parts of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe during the Migration Period. The name gained prominence through various historical figures, such as Theodoric the Great, the king of the Ostrogoths who ruled Italy from 493 to 526 AD.

In the Middle Ages, the name Dierks and its variants, such as Diederik and Dieter, were popular among the nobility and ruling classes in German-speaking regions. Some notable historical figures include Dietrich von Bern, a legendary hero from the German epic poem "Nibelungenlied," and Dietrich of Nieheim, a 14th-century German scholar and bishop.

As the name spread throughout Europe, it acquired various spellings and regional variations. In the Low German regions, it was often spelled as Dierks or Dirks, while in the Netherlands, it became Diederik or Dirk. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Dirk Hartog, a Dutch explorer who landed on the western coast of Australia in 1616 and is considered the first European to set foot on Australian soil.

In the 19th century, the name Dierks experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Germany and the German-speaking regions of Europe. Notable individuals with this name include Dierks Hessling, a German artist and painter born in 1852, and Dierks Bolten, a German painter and illustrator born in 1881.

While the name Dierks has remained relatively uncommon in modern times, it has maintained a strong connection to its Germanic heritage and continues to be used as a given name, particularly in German-speaking countries and communities with German cultural influences.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Dierks was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dierks, please contact us.

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