Dirk is a male given name of

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

origin. It is a traditional diminutive of the Dutch name: Diederik. The meaning of the name is "the people's ruler", composed of ''þeud'' ("people") and ''ric'' ("power"). Dirk may also be a surname. It is cognate to French

Thierry Thierry is a French male given name, derived from the Germanic "Theodoric". It is the cognate of German "Dietrich" and " Dieter", English Terry, Derek and Derrick, and of various forms in other European languages. It is also a surname. People ...

, German

Dietrich Dietrich () is an ancient German name meaning "Ruler of the People.” Also "keeper of the keys" or a "lockpick" either the tool or the profession. Given name * Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg (c. 1398 – 1440) * Thierry of Alsace (german: Dietr ...

and Gothic

Theoderic Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Overview The name ...

. It may refer to:

People with the given name

Dirk I, Count of Holland Dirk I ( Frisian ''Durk I'' or ''Diderik'', Latin ''Theoderic'' or ''Thidericus Fresonie'', German ''Dietrich'') was count of West Frisia, later known as the County of Holland. He is thought to have been in office from c. 896 to c. 928 or 939. 'Co ...

(died 944) *

Dirk II, Count of Holland Dirk II or Theoderic II (920/930 – 6 May 988) was a count in West Frisia, and a predecessor of the counts of Holland. He was the son of Dirk I, count in West Frisia, and Geva (or Gerberge). Career In 983 Emperor Otto III confirmed Dirk's right ...

(944–988) *

Dirk III, Count of Holland Dirk III (also called ''Dirik'' or ''Theodoric'') was the count with jurisdiction over what would become the county of Holland, often referred to in this period as "West Frisia", from 993 to 27 May 1039. Until 1005, this was under regency of his ...

(died 1039) *

Dirk IV, Count of Holland Dirk IV (ca. 1020/1030 – 13 January 1049) was Count of Holland from 1039 to 1049 (which was called Frisia at that time). Dirk's date of birth is unknown but it was probably ca. 1030 or shortly before, he was described as "adolescent" at the time ...

(1020–1049) *

Dirk V, Count of Holland Dirk V (1052 – June 17, 1091) was Count of Holland (called Frisia at that time) from 1061 to 1091. Dirk V succeeded his father, Floris I, under the guardianship of his mother, Gertrude of Saxony. William I, Bishop of Utrecht, took advantag ...

(1052–1091) *

Dirk VI, Count of Holland Dirk VI (c. 11145 August 1157) was Count of Holland between 1121 and 1157, at first, during his minority, under the regency of his mother Petronilla. He was the son of Count Floris II. After his death he was succeeded by his eldest son Floris I ...

(1114–1157) *

Dirk VII, Count of Holland Dirk VII (died 4 November 1203, in Dordrecht) was the count of Holland from 1190 to 1203. He was the elder son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon. Life Due to a civil war in the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor Henry VI had to find ways to make f ...

(died 1203) *

Dirk Bach Dirk Bach (23 April 1961 – 1 October 2012) was a German actor, comedian and television presenter, best known as the co-host of ''Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!'', the German version of '' I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!''. C ...

(1961–2012), German actor *

Dirk Bauermann Dirk Bauermann (born 10 December 1957) is a German professional basketball coach. Playing career Bauermann played club basketball in the German senior club of BBC Krefeld, from 1975 to 1981. Club coaching career Bauermann was an assistant coach ...

(born 1957), German basketball coach *

Dirk Benedict Dirk Benedict (born Dirk Niewoehner; March 1, 1945) is an American film, television and stage actor, philosopher and author. He is best known for playing the characters Lieutenant Starbuck in the original '' Battlestar Galactica'' film and telev ...

(born 1945), American actor *

Dirk Bikkembergs Dirk Bikkembergs (born 2 January 1959) is a Belgian fashion designer. Early life Dirk Bikkembergs was born in Cologne, Germany, as his father was in the Belgian Army. He lived most of his years in Diepenbeek, Limburg, Belgium. In 1982, B ...

(born 1959), Belgian fashion designer *

Dirk Blocker Dennis Dirk Blocker (born July 31, 1957) is an American actor. He earned his first regular TV role on '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (1976–1978), playing pilot Jerry Bragg. From 2013–2021, he starred as Detective Michael Hitchcock on the Fox/NBC co ...

(born 1957), American actor * Dirk Bolt (1930–2020), Dutch-born architect * Dirk Bootsma (1936–2020), Dutch geneticist *

Dirk Brouwer Dirk Brouwer (; September 1, 1902 – January 31, 1966) was a Dutch-American astronomer. He received his PhD in 1927 at Leiden University under Willem de Sitter and then went to Yale University. From 1941 until 1966 he was editor of the ''Ast ...

(1902–1966), American astronomer *

Dirk Brossé Dirk, Knight BrosséEtat présent de la noblesse belge 2015, p. 20 (born 18 February 1960, Ghent) is a Belgian conductor and composer. He has composed over 200 works, including concerti, oratorios, lieder, chamber music and symphonic works. Br ...

(born 1960), Belgian composer *

Dirk Bruinenberg Dirk Bruinenberg (born 21 August 1968) is a Dutch musician known as the former drummer of several European progressive metal and power metal bands, including: Elegy, Ian Parry's Consortium Project and Adagio. He is often recognized for his intr ...

(born 1968), Dutch musician *

Dirk Coster Dirk Coster (October 5, 1889 – February 12, 1950), was a Dutch physicist. He was a Professor of Physics and Meteorology at the University of Groningen. Coster was born in Amsterdam. On February 26, 1919, he married Lina Maria Wijsman, who ...

(1889–1950), Dutch physicist *

Dirk Crabeth Dirk (or Dirck) Pietersz Crabeth (1501–1574) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter, tapestry designer, and mapmaker. He was employed by the Janskerk (Gouda) during the 16th century, where he created eight of the stained glass windows during t ...

(1501–1574), Dutch artist *

Dirk Cussler Dirk Cussler (born 1961) is an American author. He is the son of best selling author Clive Cussler and a co-author of several Dirk Pitt Dirk Pitt is a fictional character created by American novelist Clive Cussler and featured in a series of n ...

(born 1961), American writer *

Dirk Dirksen Dirk Dirksen (August 25, 1937 – November 20, 2006) was a music promoter and emcee of the San Francisco punk rock clubs Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Dirksen was nicknamed the "Pope of Punk." Dirksen was born ...

(1937–2006), American music promoter * Dirk Elbers (born 1959), German politician *

Dirk Fock Dirk Fock (19 June 1858 – 17 October 1941) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct Liberal State Party (LSP) now merged into the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He served as Governor of Suriname (1908–1911), Speake ...

(1858–1941), Dutch politician *

Dirk Frimout Dirk Dries David Damiaan, Viscount Frimout (born 21 March 1941 in Poperinge, Belgium) is an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency. He flew aboard NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-45 as a payload specialist, making him the first Belgian in ...

(born 1941), Belgian astronaut and astrophysicist *

Dirk Gates Dirk I. Gates (born June 25, 1961 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American businessman, founder and chief executive officer of two companies, Xircom and Xirrus. Career In 1983, Gates received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from California ...

(born 1961), American businessman *

Dirk Geukens Dirk Geukens (29 June 1963 – 22 July 2020) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1984 to 1996. Motocross career Geukens competed in the FIM 250cc Motocross World Championship from 1984 ...

(1963–2020), Belgian motocross racer *

Dirk Hartog Dirk Hartog (; baptised 30 October 1580 – buried 11 October 1621) was a 17th-century Dutch sailor and explorer. Dirk Hartog's expedition was the second European group to land in Australia and the first to leave behind an artefact to record hi ...

(1580–1621), Dutch sailor and explorer * Dirk Hayhurst (born 1981), American author *

Dirk Jan de Geer Dirk Jan de Geer (14 December 1870 – 28 November 1960) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Christian Historical Union (CHU) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 8 March 1 ...

(1870–1960), Dutch politician and prime minister *

Dirk Jan Struik Dirk Jan Struik (September 30, 1894 – October 21, 2000) was a Dutch-born American (since 1934) mathematician, historian of mathematics and Marxian theoretician who spent most of his life in the U.S. Life Dirk Jan Struik was born in ...

(1894–2000), Dutch mathematician and historian *

Dirk Johnson Dirk Johnson (born June 1, 1975) is a former American football punter. He is most notable for his four season tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. After playing college football at Northern Colorado, Johnson signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a ...

(born 1975), American football player * Dirk Kemp (born 1913), South African football player *

Dirk Kempthorne Dirk Arthur Kempthorne (born October 29, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 49th United States Secretary of the Interior from 2006 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a ...

(born 1951), American politician *

Dirk Koetter Dirk Jeffrey Koetter ( ; born February 5, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently serving as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football Lea ...

(born 1959), American football coach *

Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuijt (anglicised to Kuyt, ; born 22 July 1980) is a Dutch former professional footballer and was the head coach of Eerste Divisie side ADO Den Haag. Originally starting out as a striker, he played much of his career as a winger. Kuyt beg ...

(born 1980), Dutch football player *

Dirk Mädrich Dirk Mädrich (born 16 July 1983) is a German professional basketball player who currently plays for EWE Baskets Oldenburg of the German Basketball League The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for s ...

(born 1983), German basketball player *

Dirk Mudge Dirk Frederik Mudge (16 January 192826 August 2020) was a Namibian politician. He served in several high-ranking positions in the South African administration of South West Africa, was the chairman of the 1975–1977 Turnhalle Constitutional Con ...

(1928–2020), Namibian politician *

Dirk Müller (artist) Dirk Müller (born 29 November 1946) is a Dutch sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height ...

(born 1946), Dutch sculptor *

Dirk Müller (cyclist) Dirk Müller (born 4 August 1973 in Bad Hersfeld) is a German former cyclist. He won the German National Road Race Championships in 2006. Major results ;1993 : 1st Stage 2 Bayern-Rundfahrt ;1994 : 3rd Overall Cinturón a Mallorca ;1995 : 1 ...

(born 1973), German cyclist *

Dirk Müller (racing driver) Dirk Müller (born 18 November 1975) is a German Ford factory racing driver, driving for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. His former Schnitzer BMW team-mate Jörg Müller is unrelated, as is Frenc ...

(born 1975), German race car driver *

Dirk Nannes Dirk Peter Nannes (born 16 May 1976) is an Australian-Dutch cricket commentator and former cricketer who has played internationally for both Australia and the Netherlands, one of the few players to represent multiple international teams. Fro ...

(born 1976), Australian cricket player *

Dirk Niebel Dirk Niebel (born 29 March 1963) is a German politician. From 2009 to 2013, he served as Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development. From 2005 to 2009, he was secretary general of the FDP. Early life and career Niebel was born in ...

(born 1963), German politician *

Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the g ...

(born 1978), German basketball player *

Dirk Polder Dirk Polder (23 August 1919 – 18 March 2001) was a Dutch physicist who, together with Hendrik Casimir, first predicted the existence of what today is known as the Casimir-Polder force, sometimes also referred to as the '' Casimir effect'' ...

(1919–2001), Dutch physicist *

Dirk Schlächter Dirk Schlächter (born 15 February 1965, in Bad Nauheim, Germany) is the bassist of the power metal band Gamma Ray and Avalanch from 2018. History Dirk got in touch with music for the first time joining a music school at the age of 8. At the ag ...

(born 1965), German bassist *

Dirk Stikker Dirk Uipko Stikker (5 February 1897 – 23 December 1979) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct Liberal State Party (LSP), co-founder of the defunct Freedom Party (PvdV) and of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( ...

(1897–1979), Dutch politician and diplomat *

Dirk Stoop Dirk Stoop (ca 1615–1686) was a widely travelled painter and engraver of the Dutch Golden Age. Alternative versions of his name include ''Dirck Stoff'', ''Theodorus (van der) Stoop'', ''Thierry'' (the French version) and ''Rod(e)rigo'', by wh ...

(1615–1686), Dutch painter * Dirk Valkenburg (1675–1721), Dutch painter * Dirk van Erp (1860–1933), American coppersmith *

Dirk van Braeckel Dirk van Braeckel (born 19 February 1958 in Deinze), is a Belgian car designer. He is known for the designing of various models for Volkswagen Group, especially for the Bentley brand. Career Born in Deinze, after leaving school, van Braeckel s ...

(born 1958), Belgian car designer *

Dirk de Waard Dirk de Waard (5 February 1919 – 26 January 2011) was a Dutch-born American geologist. He was a professor of geology at Syracuse University. De Waard was born in Hilversum. He was elected a correspondent of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts a ...

(1919–2011), Dutch-born American geologist *

Dirk Willems Dirk Willems (died 16 May 1569; also spelled Durk Willems) was a Dutch martyred Anabaptist who is most famous for escaping from prison but then turning back to rescue his pursuer—who had fallen through thin ice while chasing Willems—to then ...

(died 1569), Dutch Anabaptist martyr and pacifist * Dirk Wilutzky (born 1965), German film maker * Dirk DeFord Stud in adult films

People with the nickname

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Orga ...

(1921–1999), stage name of British actor Derek van den Bogaerde * Stewart "Dirk" Fischer (1924–2013), American composer and musician * Richard

Dirk Gringhuis Richard H. Gringhuis (September 22, 1918 – March 1974) was an American artist and illustrator. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he studied from 1939 to 1941 at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, lived in New York for a year, then moved back ...

(1918–1974), American artist and illustrator * Derrick

Dirk Meyer Derrick R. "Dirk" Meyer (born November 24, 1961) is a former Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Micro Devices, serving in the position from July 18, 2008 to January 10, 2011. Education He received a bachelor's degree in computer engineering ...

(born 1961), American businessman * Gerald Dirk West (1930–1996), American editorial cartoonist and journalist *

Dirk from Veristablium Derek Alexander Muller (born 9 November 1982) is an Australian-Canadian science communicator, filmmaker, and television personality, who is best known for his YouTube channel Veritasium. Muller has also appeared as a correspondent on the Ne ...

, nickname of

Derek Muller Derek Alexander Muller (born 9 November 1982) is an Australian-Canadian science communicator, filmmaker, and television personality, who is best known for his YouTube channel Veritasium. Muller has also appeared as a correspondent on the Ne ...

People with the surname

Robert Dirk Robert Michael Dirk (born August 20, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Dirk played in the National Hockey League between 1987 and 1996. Playing career Dirk was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He was selected 54th overall ...

(born 1966), Canadian ice hockey player

Other uses

Fictional characters with the name

Dirk the Daring ''Dragon's Lair'' is a video game franchise created by Rick Dyer (video game designer), Rick Dyer and Don Bluth. The series is famous for its Western animation-style graphics and complex decades-long history of being ported to many platforms and ...

, the main character in the video game ''Dragon's Lair'' *Dirk Dagger (also known as Dirk Spanner), the main character in the video game '' Dirk Dagger and the Fallen Idol'' *

Dirk Diggler A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...

, the main character in ''Boogie Nights'' played by Mark Wahlberg *

Dirk Gently Dirk Gently (born Svlad Cjelli, also known as Dirk Cjelli) is a fictional character created by English writer Douglas Adams and featured in the books ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'', ''The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'' and ''The ...

, the main character in ''Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'' by Douglas Adams *Dirk McQuickly, the equivalent of Paul McCartney in The Beatles parody band

The Rutles The Rutles () were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a sketch in Idle's mid-1970s BBC television comedy series '' Rutland ...

Dirk Pitt Dirk Pitt is a fictional character created by American novelist Clive Cussler and featured in a series of novels published from 1976 to 2021. Pitt is a larger-than-life hero reminiscent of pulp magazine icon Doc Savage. Pitt is a citizen of the ...

, the main character in novels by Clive Cussler *Dirk Strider, a character from the webcomic ''

Homestuck ''Homestuck'' is an Internet fiction series created by American author and artist Andrew Hussie in the first half of the 2010s. The fourth and best-known of Hussie's four ''MS Paint Adventures'', it originally ran from April 13, 2009 to April 1 ...

'' *

Dirk Struan Dirk Lochlin Struan (1797–1841) is the fictional main character of James Clavell's 1966 novel ''Tai-Pan''. The title comes from a Cantonese term that Clavell loosely translates as "supreme leader", and Struan is the Tai-pan or head of his own ...

, the main character in James Clavell's 1966 novel ''Tai-Pan'' *

Dirk (Bizaardvark character) A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...

, a main character on Disney Channel's ''

Bizaardvark ''Bizaardvark'' is an American comedy television series created by Kyle Stegina and Josh Lehrman that premiered on Disney Channel on June 24, 2016. The series ran for three seasons consisting of 63 episodes, airing its final episode on April 13, ...

People with the given name

People with the nickname

People with the surname

Other uses

Fictional characters with the name

See also