Dijkstra

Dijkstra

Origin
Language(s)	West Frisian
Meaning	Signified that the family either lived close to a dijk or came from a place with the element "-dijk" in its name[1]
Region of origin	Netherlands
Other names
Variant form(s)	Dykstra, Terpstra, Dijkema, van Dijk, van Dyke

Dijkstra (pronounced [ˈdɛikstraː] or [ˈdikstraː]) is a Dutch family name of West Frisian origin. It most commonly refers to:

• Edsger W. Dijkstra (1930–2002), Dutch computer scientist
  • Named after him: Dijkstra's algorithm, Dijkstra Prize, Dijkstra–Scholten algorithm

People

• Bram Dijkstra (born 1938), American professor of English literature and cultural historian
• Edsger W. Dijkstra (1930–2002), Dutch computer scientist, programmer, software engineer, mathematician, and science essayist
• Erik Dijkstra (born 1977), Dutch journalist and television presenter
• Jan Dijkstra (1910–1993), Dutch mayor
• Jesse Six Dijkstra (born 1994), Dutch politician
• Johan Dijkstra [fy; nl] (1896–1978), Dutch painter, illustrator and stained glass artist
• Lenie Dijkstra (born 1967), Dutch racing cyclist
• Lou Dijkstra (1909–1964), Dutch speed skater, father of Sjoukje Dijkstra
• Margaret Dijkstra, pseudonym of Eva Gerlach (born 1948), Dutch poet
• Marjolein Dijkstra (born 1967), Dutch physicist
• Mart Dijkstra (born 1990), Dutch footballer
• Meindert Dijkstra (born 1967), Dutch footballer
• Peter Dijkstra (born 1978), Dutch choir conductor
• Pia Dijkstra (born 1954), Dutch politician and television presenter
• Remco Dijkstra (born 1972), Dutch politician
• Rineke Dijkstra (born 1959), Dutch photographer
• Sieb Dijkstra (born 1966), Dutch football goalkeeper
• Sjoukje Dijkstra (1942–2024), Dutch figure skater
• Wieke Dijkstra (born 1984), Dutch field hockey player

Fictional characters

• Roel Dijkstra, eponymous character in a comic book series published from 1977 to 1995
• Sigismund Dijkstra, character from Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher saga and the third Witcher game

See also

• Dykstra, surname

References

1. 'Dijstra' analysis and explanation (in Dutch), Nederlandse Familienamenbank, Meertens Institute