Type Surname (from nickname)
Usage German
Other Forms FormsGutman (Americanized), Goodman (Americanized), Guthmann, Guttmann
Meaning & History
German cognate of Goodman. from Middle High German guot man literally "good man, capable man" derived from the elements guot "good" and man "man". This may be a nickname but in the Middle Ages the term also denoted a freeman or a vassal of noble birth and also the master of a household and the surname may be a status name from this sense.