Theodoric - High and Late Middle Ages

High and Late Middle Ages

While the Anglo-Saxon name Theodric (Deoric) is extinct in the Middle English period, it was adopted in Old Welsh as Tewdrig and survives in Modern Welsh as Tudur. The name remains popular in medieval German as Dietrich, and is adopted into French as Thierry. It is rendered in Medieval Latin as Theodoricus or as Theodericus. The Middle High German legend of Dietrich von Bern is based on the historical Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths. The German Dietrich von Bern is reflected as Þiðrekr af Bern in the Old Norse Thidrekssaga. The medieval German legend gives rise to the Dietrich of the Renaissance era Heldenbücher. The Old Norse form of the name was Þjóðríkr (spelled þiaurikʀ on the 9th-century Rök Runestone). This became Tjodrik in Middle Norwegian.

The Dutch form Derek was used in England from the 15th century. Similarly, the Scandinavian Tjodrik is attested for the 12th century, but it is replaced by the Low German forms Ditrik, Dirk in the late medieval period. The spread of the Dutch or Low German form to Middle Norwegian, Middle Danish and late Middle English or Early Modern English are part of a larger linguistic trend due to the influence of the Hanseatic League during this period.

• Antipope Theodoric (died 1102)
• Thierry of Chartres (12th century), philosopher
• Theodoric the Monk (12th century), Norwegian Benedictine
• Theoderich (Bishop of Estonia), 13th century bishop
• Theodoric of Prague (14th century), court painter to Charles IV
• Theodoric of Freiberg (14th century), theologian and scientist