Would it be likely for a German given name such as Dietrich or Diederich to be anglicized to Peter?

Question

I'm looking at Rudi-54, "Dietrich Johann Rudi". His father was Johann Dietrich Rudi so Rudi-54 may have things backwards. Anyway, I'm having trouble finding this man in records. But there was apparently a man named "Peter Rudy" in census records that may match the demographics.

But I need to know if Peter might be an anglicized form of Dietrich or Diederich. I was wondering if someone in G2G has similar experience.

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

A nickname for Dietrich is Dieter, which rhymes with the English pronunciation of Peter. Maybe the scribe misheard the first consonant and turned Dieter into Peter?

Comments

Or maybe the handwriting was so bad a "Deter" became "Peter" over time.  As with a cousin of mine, such errors can become so persistent that they become the reality.

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This is unlikely because the pronunciation of "Peter" is different in German and English.

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I was under the impression that the census records were from America, not Germany.

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That is fundamentally correct. If it was written down during the crossing to America, that may be so. With the Census, he already lives in the USA. Then, of course, the question arises whether he has adjusted his first name. One would have to check several documents, which we do not have. We speculate at the moment without proof and genealogy needs proof.

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Anything is possible during, or after, emigration (or even before).
My great-grandfather was born in Sweden as Waldemarsson, and died in Australia as Williamson.
The son of a Johansson was in early records in Sweden as last name Harald, but died in the US as Ahlsen.

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I agree with you that many things are possible. Johann Dietrich senior was born near Heidelberg in Germany. He married in the USA. In the marriage certificate you would have to see if he officially has another first name. He died in the USA, what does the gravestone say?

One of the sons born in the USA has the same first name "Johann Dietrich" in the USA! I therefore believe that the father also kept his first names in America.

A Census is for me no sufficient proof. We get an answer only about state and/or church documents of the marriage or death.

Answer 2

I think that would be a rare transcription, from Dietrich to Peter, however not impossible since the direct translation of Dietrich would be Skeleton Key or Picklock (lock picker) so that could morph into Peter.

However, Anglicized names were often chosen instead of direct translation/connection.  Observe Asian Anglicised names in current times...

Answer 3

What was his middle name?  Many Germans USED their middle name as some families gave all the boys the SAME first name: Dietrich Peter, Dietrich Paul, Dietrich Karl, etc.

Comments

Jim says he was Dietrich Johann, so one would presume he would go by "John" instead of Peter. According to his Wikitree profile he had a brother named Johann Friedrich, so perhaps Johann went by John and Dietrich had to go by something else. I think the first step is actually sourcing that profile and proving that Dietrich even existed in the first place, there's no sources for him at all on Wikitree.

The anglicized version of Dietrich would have been Derek, however this name was basically unknown back in the 18th century.

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I think his name was Johann Dietrich Rudi (Jr.). His father had the same name but always appears as Dietrich, Diederich, Dieder, etc. Some folks have told me Dietrich is German for Richard, Dick, etc. but not Peter. I wondered about Peter since Dietrich may have sounded like Peter phonetically. Then I found some references to a Peter Rudy in the same generalized location and time frame as my Johann Dietrich Rudi (Jr.), who has been very hard to find. Peter may be a long shot and someone else entirely?? I just wondered if anyone had seen "Dietrich" turned into Peter by a clerk long ago..

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"Known by" names aren't always anything to do with the original given names.  I have a friend whose brother was known in Australia as "Frank", because his German name caused him trouble with other students at his school there.
A cousin's ancestor was known in Australia as "Tom", because that was a name given by the English settlers to almost all Chinese labourers of the day.  It had nothing to do with "Anglicising" his Chinese name (which is currently still unknown.)
Perhaps "Peter" was a name given to him by the locals, and not something he chose for himself - or perhaps he chose it to assimilate better.

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Well, you might be onto something with the "sounding alike".

Dietrich would not sound like Peter, but the short form "Dieter" surely sounds like "Peter". And a non german speaking census taker might surely have understood Peter and penned it down.

On the other hand, relatives of mine who emmigrated to the US in 1850 was born "Eberhard Heinrich" and went in the US under "John Wilhelm" ...

Answer 4

Dietrich is definitely not Peter, but derives from the old Gothic name Theoderich. In Germany there are also rarely middle names, even if the child has been given several first names.

It is quite normal that a child gets the same first name as the father or mother, especially in those days.

Dietrich (Diedrich, Diederich) corresponds in English to Dederick, Derek, Derick, Derrick, Terry.

So this named "Peter" must be another person.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Answer 5

I summarize and also add a little: in Germany, then as now, a child could receive several first names. It is generally known that the further first names in Germany do not have the meaning of a middle name in the USA and Canada. Usually the child is called with the first given name, so with Johann Diedrich this is "Johann".

It cannot be excluded that he was also called Diedrich or Dieter, and Dieter (German) and Peter (English) sound very similar. An incorrect entry in the Census is then quite possible.

It is advantageous to share the link to the Census entry, because many eyes see more than two. There is also the question if there is more than one Census entry of the family.

Interesting is the marriage certificate, because there the birth certificate is to be presented, and then the error is noticed. Also, I note that he gave his children German first names, not American.

We can only bring light into the darkness if someone finds the marriage certificate or other official documents. I myself know the Czech archives quite well, and also a little bit in the Polish ones. I have no experience in the American archives.