| ![Show Contents]() Diederichs 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 Diederichs. 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 Diederichs family. Early Origins of the Diederichs familyThe surname Diederichs 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 Diederichs familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Diederichs research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1816 and 1817 are included under the topic Early Diederichs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Diederichs Spelling VariationsMany cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Diederichs 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 Diederichs familyNotable figures of the time with the name Diederichs 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 the high court at Frankfurt...
 Diederichs migration to the United States | + |
Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Diederichs were
Diederichs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Grietje Wamaerts Diederichs, who landed in New Jersey in 1664 1
- Hans Diederichs, who arrived in New Jersey in 1664 1
Diederichs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Johann Diederichs, who arrived in America in 1780 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Diederichs (post 1700) | + |
- Eugen Diederichs (1867-1930), founded an influential publishing house, whose books put forward the ideas the Art Nouveau movement
- Dr. Nicolaas Diederichs (b. 1903), elected State President of the Republic of South Africa in 1975
- 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)
|
Diederichs migration to the United States 
