Diedrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Diedrick. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known as Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia, which is essentially the birthplace of modern Germany, provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Diedrick family.

Early Origins of the Diedrick family

The surname Diedrick was first found in Prussia, where the family was anciently associated with the political and religious conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. The family founded numerous branches, many of which acquired manors and estates in surrounding regions, where they contributed to the prosperity of their society. The name was made famous during the Middle Ages through the folk hero Dietrich von Bern, and the Dietrich-sagas which stem from the life of the Gothic King Theoderich the Great. The prefix "ded," "did," "died," "diet," or "diot" means people, nation, or folk, while the ending "Reich" means realm.

Early History of the Diedrick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Diedrick research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1816 and 1817 are included under the topic Early Diedrick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Diedrick Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Diedrick include Dederich, Dederick, Dedereich, Dederichs, Dedericks, Dedereichs, Dedrich, Dedrick, Dedreich, Diederich, Diederick, Diedereich, Diederichs, Diedericks, Diedereichs, Didrich, Didrick, Didreich, Dhederich, Dhederick, Dhedereich, Thederich, Thederick and many more.

Early Notables of the Diedrick family

Notable figures of the time with the name Diedrick were Christoph Leopold Diederichs, who was the justice advisor and member of the state council of Prussia. Carl Anton Diederichs was the city director to Herford. Bernhard Carl Diederichs was president of...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Diedrick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Diedrick migration to the United States +

The state of Prussia was a great influence on the shape of modern Germany. After the Second World War, Prussia's land was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany and the state was abolished. Some Prussians remained in those countries after the war, while many others migrated to North America in search of a new start. Philadelphia was their primary point of entry to the United States, after which many of them moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. A large number of Prussians also migrated to Ontario and the prairie provinces as United Empire Loyalists. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Diedricks to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Diedrick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Adam Diedrick, aged 50, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 1
Leonard Diedrick, aged 21, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Diedrick (post 1700) +

Dahrran Diedrick (b. 1979), American professional football player
George E. Diedrick, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1924 2
Gene Diedrick, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1972 2
Dahrran Diedrick (1979-2023), Jamaican born, Canadian professional football running back, three-time Grey Cup champion, winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2005 and the Montreal Alouettes in 2009 and 2010

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html