Diesel originates in Germanic languages and means "people, race". It is a diminutive of the name Matthias but in German language it is currently used strictly as a surname rather than a given name. Famous bearers of this name include Rudolf Diesel, a German mechanical engineer and inventor of the Diesel engine, and Vin Diesel, an American actor, whose last name originated as a nickname. Diesel is also the name of a popular Italian design company.