Diek

Diek is a surname and a toponym of Germanic origin. It derives from the Middle Low German word diek, meaning dike or dyke, and originally described a person who lived near a dike or worked on dike construction. The name is common in northern Germany and in regions where Low German dialects influenced local toponyms. Variants in spelling include Dieck, Diecks, and Dieks, reflecting regional orthographic practices and the influence of neighboring languages.

Diek also occurs as a component of place names in northern Germany and the Low Countries, where it typically indicates a location beside a dyke or a landscape shaped by dyke engineering. As a surname, Diek is categorized in onomastic studies as a habitational name, and in some cases as an occupational surname arising from proximity to dikes.

Notable people with the surname Diek include individuals in various fields such as sports, academia, and public life. Derivatives and cognates in related languages include Dijk in Dutch and Diek variants in German dialects. Because Diek is relatively rare outside German-speaking Europe, occurrences in diaspora communities often reflect German emigration.