Dietrich

Gender: Boy
Say it: DEE-trik
Origin: Germanic
US rank, 2025: #3,756 for boys

Dietrich is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “ruler of the people”. In 2025 it ranked 3,756th for boys in the US (29 babies).

What does Dietrich mean?

Germanic: German form of Theodoric

“ruler of the people”

Dietrich von Bern, a hero of medieval German legend, is based on the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great.

Is Dietrich a girl's or a boy's name?

Dietrich is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 29 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Dietrich in the US?

Rank in 2025: 3,756th among boys
Babies in 2025: 29 about 1 in 59,000 boys
Five-year trend: Steady down 5% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 29 boys in the US were named Dietrich, making it the 3,756th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,017th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 58 boys. It first appears in the records in 1917.

Half of all the boys named Dietrich in the US since 1880 were born between 1974 and 2012, the years shaded on the chart below.

Girls were 42% of the babies named Dietrich in the US in 1963, and 15% in 1978.

1917Busiest: 58 in 20162025

Dietrich in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	29	#3,756
2024	35	#3,333
2023	27	#3,999
2022	28	#3,876
2021	41	#2,971
2020	25	#4,017
2019	41	#2,941
2018	30	#3,603
2017	50	#2,531
2016	58	#2,278
2015	28	#3,774
2014	56	#2,315
2013	42	#2,761
2012	37	#3,057
2011	26	#3,883
2010	32	#3,376
2009	22	#4,427
2008	27	#3,820
2007	33	#3,311
2006	31	#3,382
2005	30	#3,315
2004	24	#3,731
2003	31	#3,040
2002	28	#3,184
2001	22	#3,716
2000	32	#2,800
1999	33	#2,604
1998	32	#2,596
1997	28	#2,746
1996	29	#2,585
1995	23	#3,015
1994	22	#3,103
1993	32	#2,341
1992	27	#2,593
1991	28	#2,463
1990	29	#2,368
1989	16	#3,440
1988	23	#2,504
1987	26	#2,211
1986	21	#2,508
1985	15	#3,067
1984	20	#2,436
1983	21	#2,340
1982	26	#2,058
1981	26	#2,037
1980	25	#2,110
1979	41	#1,464
1978	29	#1,794
1977	31	#1,707
1976	33	#1,607
1975	28	#1,752
1974	22	#1,983
1973	31	#1,548
1972	40	#1,327
1971	33	#1,494
1970	28	#1,614
1969	35	#1,351
1968	21	#1,730
1967	23	#1,608
1966	28	#1,449
1965	19	#1,805
1964	10	#2,664
1963	18	#1,901
1962	10	#2,671
1961	7	#3,354
1960	9	#2,869
1959	5	#3,986
1958	20	#1,765
1957	10	#2,629
1956	11	#2,495
1955	8	#2,962
1954	13	#2,206
1953	6	#3,423
1952	9	#2,678
1951	0	–
1950	8	#2,769
1949	0	–
1948	0	–
1947	5	#3,731
1946	0	–
1945	5	#3,337
1944	0	–
1943	0	–
1942	0	–
1941	0	–
1940	9	#2,478
1939	0	–
1938	7	#2,868
1937	9	#2,479
1936	8	#2,628
1935	5	#3,644
1934	5	#3,677
1933	5	#3,640
1932	6	#3,360
1931	10	#2,470
1930	5	#3,999
1929	0	–
1928	8	#3,074
1927	0	–
1926	7	#3,383
1925	0	–
1924	0	–
1923	5	#4,236
1922	0	–
1921	6	#3,867
1920	0	–
1919	0	–
1918	0	–
1917	5	#3,979

Nicknames for Dietrich

Dieter

Names like Dietrich

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Derek, Noah, Liam, Garrett, Micah, Jonah, Derrick, Judah, Damian, Ali, Dylan, Rhett

More Germanic names

Amelia, Henry, Charlotte, William, Archie, Charlie, Emma, Freddie, Ella, Harry, Millie, Albie, Matilda, Louie, Miles, Alice

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Dietrich: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/dietrich, updated 20 October 2026.