Germans often have two personal names, including a first and a middle name, so they have three. Some indicate the cities or regions where some surnames are most common or the earliest date and place the name was documented: Bahlow, Hans. Smith. Many German surnames have lots of letters and even more stories to tell. Famous Namesakes: British actress Rosamund Pike. It is the combination of the German words ober meaning upper and mann meaning man. It could be a toponymic surname for someone who lived in the upper region of a town or city. It comes from the Middle High German word nixe, which means water sprite a term used to refer a spirit associated with water. Abram. Keller is the German word for basement, but it may also refer to a winemaker. The Latin cellarius was the person who kept the wine cellar or storage chamber organized in a home. It is an occupational name for falconer whose job was to look after the birds (falcons) and train their young ones. Another origin could be the German word norden, which means north in German. It is a toponymic German surname for someone who lives by a lime tree. Bauer, Ingrid. In January 1871 Germany became a unified country. Data updated to 12 February 2021.[1][2][3]. The Latin Faustus means fortunate or lucky, so its all about how you look at things. The name is a combination of two German words adel meaning noble and berg meaning mountain.. Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below. The name thus refers to a bright warrior., This toponymic German surname comes from the Middle High German word hurst meaning woodland.. About the author. It means "lion-hearted" in both languages. Did you ever wonder what the popular baby names were decades ago? popular last names in the 1910s popular last names in the 1910s Do German women take their husbands last names? This post will give you a list of interesting German surnames with their meanings and origin. Although today the Germans are spread throughout the world, their surnames provide an insight into their ancestral origin and occupational history. It comes from the German backen, meaning to bake. Becker is so common it ranked 357th in the U.S. in 2010. If the name is spelled Rodrigues, the name is Portuguese but has the same meaning) 3. Common Dutch surnames often have a prefix like "de" or "van." These prefixes are always written in a lower case. Swiss-Italian baby boy names. It comes from the Middle High German word lilje meaning a lily. It is a toponymic name for someone who came from a house named after the flower lily. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Denison iowa RPPC birdseye view 1910s Real Photo Horse Buggy Main Street at the best online prices at eBay! 1854. Find your German last name and learn about the meaning and origins of different German surnames. Though German, Cantor is also Middle English for glover. If taken from the Latin cantere, it refers to a person who sings. It also means the son of Dahm, a Germanic nickname for Adam. Miller. Khler was a surname for people who manufactured charcoal for a living. Klamm, in German, means ravine, gorge, or a pass and thus is a toponymic name for someone living by a gorge. Our standouts are Dmitry, Igor, and Boris, as these are Slavic in their roots and still sound at home among Russian boy names. Its composed of the High German schuoch, meaning shoe and wrhte, meaning maker. In 2014, almost 75% of Schuberts were located in Germany. If you are searching for a cute German name that has proved to be popular among parents, these options are excellent picks. Clausen is a Danish patronymic last name and means "child of Claus.". Its a top ten-ranked surname in German-speaking countries. Names with von mean of or from a family or place. It is a variant of the name Eckmann where ecke is the Old German word for edge or corner. This surname likely refers to someone who lived on the edge of a hill or corner of two streets or corner of a field. Jonke is based on the Middle German junk, meaning young. Its also a diminutive of the first name Johann, for John. Non-GGG Members: Non-GGG members may search the Surname List database. Agnesia f German (East Prussian, Rare), German (Bessarabian), Medieval Italian. Katharina / Katarina / Catharina / Catarina. Ahlberg. IThe occupational name refers to a producer or supplier of caraway seeds. Kidadl has lots of great name articles to inspire you. Schreiber is based on the High German schrben, meaning to write. Its another word for a writer that also translates to the Hebrew Soffer, meaning scribe., Schroeder was originally a name for a tailor who cut cloth. It also means drayman in Northern Germany, meaning a person who delivered beer and wine.. It may refer to a count or earl and is typical among regal-sounding German family names. #1 SMITH - A smith is a craftsman, and was used for as an occupational title for many different crafts. German last names are traditionally passed down from the fathers side of the family. It is a toponymic name for someone from the place called Uhlhorn near the Hunte river in Germany. Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning "fern woodland". #2 JOHNSON - Son . The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. 1854. It is derived from the name Humbert, which is composed of the Old German words hun meaning warrior and beraht meaning bright. It is the German variant of the name Oswald, which comes from the Old English words os meaning god and weald meaning ruler. The surname likely referred to someone who was a powerful ruler or chief. 1910 GERMAN POSTCARD THE FALL OF MAN, ADAM & EVE WITH SERPENT, HUGO VAN DER GOES . Sigrid 1880s - 1910s Silje 1970s - 2000s Sissel 1940s - 1950s Sofie 1880s - 1890s, 1990s - 2000s Solveig . The common names Schmidt and Schmitz lead in the central German-speaking and eastern Low German-speaking areas. She loves cooking, baking, hiking, and horror films, as well as running a local baking business in Brooklyn with her boyfriend. The English variation is Young, while the Chinese is Chong, which may be why its popular in several Asian countries. Many Austrians also have surnames of Slavic origin. New Jersey, from 1906 to 1910 and 1915 to 1919. Dutch Meerten Institute confirms name origin. 2001-2023 BabyMed.com - All Rights Reserved. Dahm is a surname for anyone who came from Dahme in several locations in Germany. If you see a surname that you would like. Its made up of salz, meaning salt, and berc, meaning mountain hill. Salzberg also means Salz fortress in Germany, so it is specific about what awaits there. Rodriguez (Rodriguez is Spanish for the son of Rodrigo. When German women marry, they usually take their husbands surname, although some decide to keep their maiden name. This educational content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Trinkenschuh is one of the most jovial German girl last names (thats just as jovial for boys), meaning drink-shoe. Its likely associated with the famously giant beer boot mugs popular during Oktoberfest. The toponymic name was given to someone from the place called Zehring in Germany. ThoughtCo. It is an occupational name for a swineherd a person who rears and tends swine or hogs. The bearer of this name could be someone born or baptized in this month. Well keep you on the path, so you learn everything you want about how these names became traditions. German surnames are derived from words and phrases of various cultures, civilizations, and occupations in the country. The top names in the 1910s are back in a big way today, following the Hundred Year Rule. Its composed of st, meaning east and walt, meaning to rule. Ostwald was a famous 7th-century Northumbrian king who inspired many looking for cool German last names for boys. The acronyms OHG and MHG stand for Old High German and Middle High German, respectively. An exception is made when one parent has additional citizenship. The 200 most popular names were taken from a universe that includes 6,948,416 male births and 8,509,880 female births The Origin of German Last Names . 24), and Schmid (No. Eierkuchen (egg cake) and Durchdenwald (through-the-forest) are two other rare German surnames, of which there are plenty. It means one who wields the spear and may also be a version of the first name Gerwin for cool spear warrior boys. Trinkenschuh - drink-shoe. The meanings of German last names are those as defined initially when these names became surnames. It is derived from the Middle High German word Kule, which means a quarry. It is a toponymic surname for one who lives by a quarry. Becker, like Bakker, was a German occupational name for a baker. A Becker might bake bread or clay bricks. It uses the root rot, meaning red, but may refer to rod, meaning wood. If also based on the German hrod, it means fame. No matter how rare he was, you might know the famous red-haired dweller near the wood. Most popular names from a list of several hundred, Adelbert-Adalbert-Albert-Albrecht, Adelhard, Adolf, Alfons, Alfred, Alois, Alwin, Andreas (Andre), Ar(e)nd, Arnold, Arnulf, Arno (short form for names beginning with "Arn-"), Anton, Aribert (Heribert), Armin, Arnold, Arnulf, Artur, August, Bartold-Bertold (Berto), Bernhard-Bernd, Benno-Berno (short form for names beginning with "Bern-"), Bernward, Bertram, Bertrand, Bodo-Botho, Burkhard (Borchert), Dagobert, Degenhard, Detlef (Dietleib), Dietrich (Dirk-Dierk), Eberhard (Ebert), Eckbert-Egbert, Eckbrecht-Egbrecht, Edgar, Edmund, Edward-Eduard, Edwin, Egmund-Egmont, Egon, Ehregott, Eilhard, Elimar (Elmo), Emil, Emmerich (Emmo), Engerbert, Engelhard, Erhard, Erich, Ern(e)st, Erwin, Eugen, Ewald, Felix, Ferdinand, Florian, Franz (Franziskus), Friedbert, Friedhelm, Friedo, Friedolin, Friedrich (Fritz), Frchtegott, Gebhard, Georg (Jrg, Jrgen, Goris), Gerald-Gerold, Gerbert, Gerhard (Gerd), Gottfried, Gotthard, Gotthold, Gottlieb, Gottschalk, Gtz (short form for names beginning with "Gott-"), Gregor, Gnter, Guntram, Gustav, Hans (Johannes), Harald (Herwald), Harduin-Hartwin, Harro, Hartmann, Heinrich (Heinz, Hinz, Henning), Helmut, Her(i)bert, Hermann (Harmen), Hermengild, Herward, Hil(de)bert, Horst, Hubert, Hugo, Humbert, Ildefons, Ingert, Ingo (short form for names beginning with "Ing-"), Ingomar, Irmbert-Ermbert, Jakob (Koppe,Jeppe), Joachim (achim, Jochem, Jochen), Johann(es), Jrg, Joseph/Josef (Sepp), Julius, Jrgen, Karl, Karlmann, Karsten (Christian), Klaus (Nikolaus), Klodwig (Chlodwig), Konrad (Kurt, Kord,Kunz), Kraft, Lambert-Lambrecht, Lebrecht, Leo, Leo(de)gar, Leonhard-Lienhard, Leopold, Luitpold, Lorenz, Lothar, Ludo, Ludolf, Ludwig (Lutz), Lukas, Manfred, Markward, Martin-Merten, Matthias, Maximilian, Medard, Meinhard, Mich(a)el, Moritz, Neidhard, Niklas, Nikolaus (Klaus, Klas), Norbert, Odilo, Oskar, Oswald, Oswin, Otwin, Otfried, Odo, Otto, Ottokar, Otwin, Raban, Reinald-Reinhold-Reginald, Reiner, Reinhard, Richard, Rigobert, , Roderich, Roland, Romnold-Rumold, Rdiger-Rdeger, Rudolf-Rudo-Rudi-Rolf, Rupert-Ruprecht. In fact, data from a Census Bureau study reveals that the number of Hispanic surnames in the top 25 doubled between 1990 and 2000. It comes from the German sauer, meaning sour. Sauer also refers to the Sauer River in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Alternative Spellings & Variations: Rosamina, Rosamond, Rosamia, Rose, Rosie, Rosa. It comes from the German word gellen, which means a shrill sound or to yell. It was probably an occupational surname for a town crier. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 14. Peak Popularity: The name Wilma was quite popular from the 1910s through the 1930s, remaining in the U.S. top 100 until 1941. This compilation of German last names contains a unique and diverse set of names. Its also a form of Bartholomus, the German Bartholomew since its one of the classic German last names for boys. It is a toponymic name referring to people who originally came from the city of Aachen in western Germany. The name "Kolding" means "cold river.". Adrian. Meyer is particularly common in the Low German-speaking regions, especially in Lower Saxony (where it is more common than Mller). Burton (English origin) means "fort settlement", a noble family name. It comes from the Middle High German word rinke, which means a buckle. It is an occupational name for someone who makes buckles or clasps. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Many German immigrants who came to the U.S. changed Braun to the English Brown. For example, "Bergman" was "mountain dweller", "Riethman . We won't send you spam. It is a personal name composed of two words, namely geb meaning gift and hardt meaning strong or hard., It is derived from the Old German word ger, which means spear., It is an occupational name for a goatherd derived from the word geiz meaning goat.. Mller is the most common surname in Germany and Germanic countries in general. The acronyms are noted because you won't find the translations for these names in standard online translators or even most German dictionaries. Bach was originally a name for a person who lived by a stream. It derives from the High German bach, meaning stream. Despite Bach being a German composer, Bach is found in places like Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Croatia. The name could also be the variant of Wahlberg, which means a hill with a meadow in Middle High German. It is derived from the word Fassbinder, which is the combination of two Middle High German words, namely faz meaning barrel and binder meaning joiner. The surname Fassbender is an occupational name referring to a cooper. Its also found in nearby countries like Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. Florian: Meaning 'flower'. For instance, Schmidt, which is ranked No. 26). Anouilh. List of the most common surnames in Germany, "Die 50 hufigsten Familiennamen in Deutschland", https://www.cbgfamilienamen.nl/nfb/detail_naam.php?gba_naam=Jeijsman&nfd_naam=Jeijsman+%28y%29&info=analyse+en+verklaring&operator=eq&taal=, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_the_most_common_surnames_in_Germany&oldid=1141380409, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Different pronunciation is indicated below the name. It comes from the Old High German word loh, which means a meadow, marshy land, or a clearing. Its a toponymic surname for someone who lives in any of these places. Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space. Ostwald is based on the German first name Ostold. If so, you may find comfort in 1910s girl names or 1910s boy names. Common Dutch surnames. Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. However, it is not mandatory, and a wife may wish to continue with her maiden surname after the wedding. Wener is made up of the German warin, meaning watchful, and heri, meaning army.. Having done a certification in Relationship Coaching, her core interest lies in more. It is a toponymic surname for someone from any of the several places called Rangen in Germany. Sommer also means the son of Summer. It uses the Middle German root somere, meaning pack animal. Sommer was often a name given to a baby born in the summertime. To search, press CTRL-F on a PC, or -F on a Mac, then enter your last name. While the rest of the world may name hurricanes or typhoons, the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst) has gone so far as to name ordinary high (hoch) and low (tief) pressure zones. It is an occupational name for someone who uses the tool pickaxe.. [citation needed] Garcia and Martinez represent the rapid growth of several Hispanic communities in the United States. Pfeiffer means whistler or fife-player. It uses the German root pfeife, meaning pipe, for someone whose song couldnt be ignored. (This prompted a debate about whether masculine . Lebedev - A popular Russian family name meaning "swan". Surnames C-F : Surnames G-K : Surnames L-R : Surnames S-Z : Additional : Site Features Pictures : Our Vic : Thurmaston . It comes from the Middle High German word herze meaning heart. The name originally referred to someone who is a kind-hearted person. Trapp comes from the High German trappe, meaning nave person, which may also mean flight of stairs, if based on treppe.. Its an occupational surname originally given to those who worked at a mill. It is derived from the name of the Linden tree. The toponymic name refers to someone from Eulenburg or Eilenburg in Germany. 42. It is the German word for sign, pointer or an indicator. It is an occupational name for a sign-maker. It is the German word for gaunt or an extremely thin person. Another derivation could be the Middle High German word hac meaning a hedge or a fenced enclosure.. Despite the land being riddle with swamps, many Germans became experts at turning the swamp into flourishing farms. The noble Von Blow family comes from the Mecklenburg area. It is a variant of the name Pfeiffer, which is an occupational name for a pipe player since Pfeife means whistle or pipe in German. Colding. It is a combination of the German words eber meaning a boar and hardt meaning strong or tough. The name thus means strong boar or brave boar., It is related to the name Eberhardt and means strong boar. Another origin could be the name Herbert, which comes from the Old German words hari meaning an army and beraht meaning bright.. Another origin could be the Middle High German word scheffe, which means a juror.. i managed to get this video back so far, because i changed computers and didn't save these videos. 2. Krmer was an occupational surname given to a shopkeeper or trader. Its a derivative of the Middle German krm, meaning trading post or booth. The Krmer of the Middle Ages was likely a traveling merchant selling pretty things for all to buy. Bergmanns origin is German and Swedish since it means mountain man in both languages. This list contains the most popular (top-40) names in Austria from the mid-80s to 2013. https://www.cbgfamilienamen.nl/nfb/detail_naam.php?gba_naam=Jeijsman&nfd_naam=Jeijsman+%28y%29&info=analyse+en+verklaring&operator=eq&taal=, https://forebears.io/surnames/jeisman#meaning. With this list of German last names, you can now learn more about the countrys diversity and history through its people. It wasnt until the Middle Ages (in approximately the 12th century) that family names came into common use. Adams/Adamson. Rank: Girls: Boys: 1: Gertrud: Walter / Walther: 2: Anna: Karl / Carl: 3: Martha / Marta: Hans: 4: Frieda / Frida: Wilhelm: 5: Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Garcia leapfrogged from number 18 to number eight, while Rodriguez went up from 22 to nine. Eisen means iron and hauer means to hew or to cut. It is a German occupational name for a blacksmith. Bergmann also means miner in German. In addition to its almond meaning, Mandel was used for many locations like Mandel, Germany. Popular Names in Germany 1900 (top 20) Information from Beliebte Vornamen.Different spellings of similar names have been combined, with only the most popular spelling shown. They were typical and appeared as an animal, plant, or flower. German last names have a strong presence in both Christian and Jewish communities across the globe. Famous last name bearer: musician and drummer Phil Collins. Gaylor. 7. But by and large, these once-stylish surnames are currently neglected. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Otto - In German, this baby boy's name means "wealthy.". Huber is common in southern Bavaria and is, with the exception of Munich, the most frequent name in that area. Trapp also distinguishes a person from de Trap. Its better known as a German nickname for a simpleton. German. If you are in the Northwest, you are more likely to come across an Anderson than a Brown, which is slightly more common on the East Coast. Son of Louis the German ruled in East Francia, Saxony; from 880, also Bavaria. It ranked 587th in the U.S. in 2010. Popular and Common German Girl Names. This writer is a part of the FamilyEducation editorial team. . Salzberg is associated with many locations, like the German city of Salzburg. Schulz was a Medieval sheriff whose equivalent would be the mayor today. Read for more information. Elie/ Ellie This unisex name meaning "my God" in Hebrew honors Elie Wiesel, a famous Holocaust survivor and author of the memoir, Night. Krause derives from the German krse, meaning pitcher. It was used for people who made or sold jugs. The patronymic name means 'noble one' and is derived from the Old German personal name 'Albrecht.'. The name is derived from the Middle High German word schoup meaning a sheaf of grains. It makes it an occupational name for a brewer. It is a variant of Macher, which is a toponymic name for someone from the place called Machern in Germany. 10. It is an occupational surname that refers to a smith or a blacksmith. Variants of the name include Schmidt and Schmitt that are popular in Switzerland as well. Popular german last names 1910s The Social Security Administration (SSA) compiles a list of the most popular baby names over the past 100 years. Wofl is one of many German compound names using wolf. It may have pointed to a home with the sign of a wolf. Bhm was a German name given to people who originally came from Bohemia, also known as the home of the Boii. The Bohemia region is found in the western part of the modern-day Czech Republic. It is the short form of the name Alexander, which comes from the Greek name Alexandros meaning defender of mankind.. Jeismann/Jeisman, a Westphalian dialect variant of Eiseman/Eisman from Eisenmann. Ahlgren. So, if someone is given the name August Landry . It is a variant name of Eisele, which is derived from Middle High German and is a nickname for a blacksmith or someone who deals with iron. It is related to ofen, the German word for an oven. The surname offen is an occupational name for a baker. Naming things (Namensgebung), as well as people, is a popular German pastime. The 200 most popular names were taken from a universe that includes 1,467,410 male births and 3,106,292 female births 1. It is a German surname made from the Old German words ger meaning spear and wig meaning battle., A German surname composed of two words, namely goz meaning goth and mann meaning a man., A toponymic surname derived from grabe or graben that means a ditch or moat.. Vasel is the German form of Fasel. All rights reserved. It is the German word for a pine tree or a fir tree. The toponymic name refers to someone who lives by a pine or fir tree. All content found on this website is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Geographical Surnames. It is a toponymic name for someone from the town called Nidda in Germany. This old French surname has Germanic origin, and means 'noble'. Latinization of Agnes and Agnese. It is a variant of Kper or Kfer, which is an occupational name for cooper.. For each rank and sex, the table shows the name and the number of occurrences of that name. Albert (given name) Albrecht. In German, licht means light, and berg, means mountain., This name is derived from the Middle High German word liep, which means dear or beloved.. The name denotes a fisherman. Lechtenberg may be an Americanized version of the original German Lichtenberg. The surname likely originated from the Middle High German word vunke meaning spark.. Schmidt and Schmitz are nearly as popular in some areas of the country. Weiss derives from the High German wz, meaning white and bright. It was once a nickname for a person with white hair or a very pale complexion. Richter was a surname for an arbiter or judge. It uses the German root rihten, meaning to make right, which is a judges prime directive in life. The Danish surname is a toponymic surname that refers to Kolding, a fjord in Denmark. Klein - Means "person of small stature". Ingrid Bauer, who is fluent in German, has been teaching and tutoring the German language since 1996. The origin of the name lies in the Middle High German word uover that refers to the bank of a river or lake or shore of a sea.. It is a toponymic surname for someone who lives along the river Oese in Germany. Its also a common Jewish surname in the U.S., ranking 392nd in 2010. It is derived from the German word wirt, which means host or landlord. The name is an occupational name for an innkeeper. She has a teaching degree and an M.A. The surname comes from the Middle High German word hafen, which means an earthen pot., It is derived from the name Heimirich, which means home ruler or ruler of the household., It is a short form of the name Heinrich and also means home-ruler..