Meaning & History
Dirksen is a Dutch and German patronymic surname meaning "son of Dirk".
Etymology
The name derives from the given name Dirk, a Dutch and Low German short form of Diederik, which itself comes from Theodoric. Theodoric is from the Gothic name *Þiudareiks, meaning "ruler of the people", composed of elements þiuda "people" and reiks "ruler, king". The patronymic -sen suffix (equivalent to -son in English) is common in Dutch and German surnames.
Notable Bearers
- Everett Dirksen (1896–1969) was a prominent U.S. politician who served as a U.S. Representative and Senator from Illinois, and was the Senate Minority Leader. His legacy includes the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., and the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse in Chicago.
- Herbert von Dirksen (1882–1955) was a German diplomat and served as ambassador to Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom during the Nazi era.
- Richard Wayne Dirksen (1921–2003) was an American musician and composer associated with Washington National Cathedral.
- Corra Dirksen (1938–2020) and Hanno Dirksen (born 1991) are South African rugby union players.
- Dirk Dirksen (1937–2006) was an American music promoter and emcee.
- Emily Dirksen (born 1969) is an American rower.
Distribution and Variants
Dirksen is primarily found in the Netherlands and northern Germany. Variant forms include Dirks (German), Dirckx, Dircks, Dircksens, Dirix, Dirkse (Dutch), and the English equivalents Dedrick, Derrick, Derricks, Derrickson, as well as Terry (a common English nickname for Theodoric).
- Meaning: "son of Dirk"
- Cognate surnames: Dirks, Derrick, Dedrick
- Origin: Dutch, German
- Type: Patronymic
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Dirksen