During more than 25 years, several members of the DIDDEN association in Belgium and the Netherlands have been searching their roots.
The results of this research have been published in a family journal for over more than 13 years, and also several books were written (in Dutch).
By this way we will volontary contribute in their seek to their ancestors.
Although it is most certain tha the roots of DIDDEN have to be found in the region near th actual borders of Belgium (B), the Netherlands (NL)and Germany (in exeption of Friesland), there are still 5 different branches without any connection, going back until ± 1450.
For reasons of comprehension, the names of the last villages are added tot the names of the following branches:
- DIDDEN_Averbode (B)
- DIDDEN_Hamont-Achel (B)
- DIDDEN_Reppel (B)
- DIDDEN_Simpelveld (NL)
- DIDDEN_Waalwijk (NL)
Where does "Didden" exist as a name?
The name Didden was widely spread in East Belgium's province Limburg since the 16th century. Villages like Achel, Reppel, Bocholt and Bree in the northside knew people with that name, as well as in villages in the far east like Maaseik, Maasmechelen and Leut, which is close to the Dutch border. Across that border many Diddens lived there as well.
Another center of Didden families was, to the West, the region of Scherpenheuvel-Zichem and Diest in the province Brabant.
Ever since 1600 Mechelen has known people named 'Diddens' (notice the 's' at the end). This name also occurs in East Friesland (Holland). Over there their descendants have been studying the family history for over 40 years.
What does "Didden" exactly mean?
An explanation as to the apparition of the name Didden is given by Professor Van Passen of the Linguistics Department of the Catholic University of Leuven:
"There is a strong resemblance to a diet-name (Germanic 'theud< >' or 'thiod' = 'people'), more specificaly a familiar form of the given name 'Diederik' (from the Germanic 'theud< >' and 'rikja' meaning 'ruler of a people')
Dr. Debrabandere, writer of a book about Dutch and Flemish name history, gives the following variations:
"Dieden(s), Dedden(s), Didens, Didden(s), Ditte(n) : patronymicum of the Germanic diet name (Theud< >), like Diederik, 1379 Diederic de Coe Diddeken, Diest; 1385 Wilhelmi dicti Didden, Tongeren; 1560 Jan Didden, Kortessem-Antw; 1581, Marie Didden, Luik
Thus we can state that this name belongs to the group of "old" family names and that it has been represented in the whole West Germanic language zone (Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany)
In conclusion we can state that in the beginning, 'Didden' was a given name which was used as a nick name for Dierick, which was itself derived from names like Theoderik or Diederik.
These days different ways of writing (Didden, Diddens, Dieden, Dedden, Deden) or nicknames ('the one from Did') still exist among each other.
Finally, the name Didden has also been the source for namegiving of several places: Diegem and Dienen which in the past were called Diedenheim ('heim' = home of a nucleus or family). We find similar places in the Netherlands (Dieden), Luxembourg (Thionville and Thiaumont, formerly named Diedenhofen and Diedenberg) and Germany (Didisheim).
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