Old High German Origin Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the origin is Old High German. Old High German was a West Germanic language spoken in southern Germany.

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Aafjes Dutch
Means "son of Aafje".

Aalders Dutch
Means "son of Aldert".

Aalfs Dutch
Means "son of Aalf", a short form of Adolf.

Aalmers Dutch (Rare)
Means "son of Aalmar", a Dutch form of Adelmar.

Aaltink Dutch
Variant of Alting.

Aarens Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aarse Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aarts Dutch
Means "son of Aart".

Aartsen Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aartsma Frisian
Means "son of Arend", the suffix -ma indicating that it is of Frisian origin.

Abbes Dutch
Means "son of Abbe".

Abbing Dutch
Variant of Abbink.

Abbingh Dutch
Variant of Abbink.

Abbink Dutch
From various Dutch places meaning "(farm) belonging to Abbe".

Abel 2 German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Albert.

Abelen Dutch
Patronymic surname derived from Abel or a diminutive of Albert.

Abeln German
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of Albert.

Aben Dutch
Means "son of Abe 2".

Acardi Italian
Derived from the Norman name Achard, a form of Ekkehard.

Accardi Italian
Variant of Acardi.

Accardo Italian
Variant of Acardi.

Acker German, English
Denoted a person who lived near a field, derived from Middle English aker or Middle High German acker meaning "field".

Ackermann German
Denoted a person who lived near a field, from Middle High German acker "field" and man "man".

Addens Dutch
Means "son of Adde".

Addicks Dutch
Means "son of Addik", a diminutive of Adde.

Adelardi Italian
Means "son of Adelardo".

Adema Frisian
Means "son of Ade 2".

Adimari Italian
Means "son of Ademaro".

Adolfs Dutch
Means "son of Adolf".

Adolfsson Swedish
Means "son of Adolf".

Adolvsson Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Adolfsson.

Aerssens Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Aerts Dutch, Flemish
From a diminutive of the given name Arnout.

Agema Frisian
Means "son of Age 1".

Aggio Italian
Possibly from the name Aggius, probably related to the Germanic name Agi.

Ahlers Low German
Means "son of Alard".

Aikema Frisian
Means "son of Aike".

Aiolfi Italian
Means "son of Aiolfo", which is derived from the Germanic name Agilulf.

Alberda Dutch
Derived from the given name Albert.

Alberdingk Dutch
Variant of Alberink.

Alberghi Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Alberghini Italian
Diminutive of Alberghi.

Alberici Italian
Means "son of Alberico".

Alberighi Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Alberink Dutch
Means "(farm) belonging to Albert" in Dutch.

Albers Dutch
Means "son of Albert".

Albert English, French, Catalan, Hungarian, Romanian, German
Derived from the given name Albert.

Alberto Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Alberto.

Alberts English, Dutch
Means "son of Albert".

Albertsen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Albert".

Albertson English
Means "son of Albert".

Albertsson Swedish, Icelandic
Means "son of Albert".

Albrecht German
From the given name Albrecht.

Albrechtsson Swedish
Means "son of Albrecht".

Albrecktsson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Albrektson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Albrektsson Swedish
Variant of Albrechtsson.

Albricci Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Albrici Italian
Variant of Alberici.

Albring Dutch
Variant of Alberink.

Aldebrandi Italian
Means "son of Aldebrando", an Italian form of Aldebrand.

Alders Dutch
Means "son of Aldert".

Aldershof Dutch
Means "Aldert's courtyard" from the given name Aldert combined with Dutch hof "yard, court".

Alduino Italian
Derived from the Italian given name Alduino, derived from the Germanic name Aldwin.

Aleshire German
Anglicized form of Alscher.

Alferink Dutch
Means "(farm) belonging to Alfhard" in Dutch.

Alfero Italian
From the given name Adalfarus.

Aliberti Italian
Means "son of Alberto".

Alinari Italian
Means "son of Alinario", which is from the Germanic name Ellanher.

Aling Dutch
Variant of Alink.

Alink Dutch
Means "(farm) belonging to Ale 2" in Dutch.

Aliprandi Italian
Means "son of Alibrand".

Alkema Frisian
Means "son of Alke".

Allard French, English
Derived from the given name Adalhard (or the Old English cognate Æðelræd).

Alles Dutch
Means "son of Alle".

Alma Frisian
Means "son of Ale 2", the suffix -ma indicating that it is of Frisian origin.

Alò Italian
Variant of Aloi.

Aloi Italian
From a dialectal form of the name Aloisio.

Aloia Italian
Variant of Aloi.

Aloisi Italian
From the given name Aloisio.

Alscher German
Means "son of Adalheidis".

Althaus German
Name for a person dwelled in or by an old house, from German alt "old" and haus "house".

Altimari Italian
Derived from the given name Altimaro, an alteration of Adelmar.

Alting Dutch
Means "(farm) belonging to Alte 2" in Dutch.

Altink Dutch
Variant of Alting.

Altoviti Italian (Rare)
Derived from the Lombard given name Altwidus.

Amalberti Italian
Means "son of Amalberto", from the Germanic name Amalbert.

Amerighi Italian
Means "son of Amerigo".

Amsel 1 Jewish
Derived from the given name Anshel.

Amsing Dutch
Means "(farm) belonging to Amse" in Dutch.

Anema Frisian
Means "son of Ane 2".

Anker Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
Metonymic surname for a sailor, meaning "anchor" in Dutch, Danish and Norwegian.

Annema Frisian
Means "son of Anne 2".

Ansaldi Italian
Means "son of Ansaldo".

Ansel English
Derived from the given name Anselm.

Anselmetti Italian
Means "son of Anselmetto", a diminutive of Anselmo.

Anselmi Italian
Means "son of Anselmo".

Anselmo Portuguese, Italian
From the given name Anselmo.

Antema Frisian
Means "son of Ante 2".

Antuma Frisian
Variant of Antema.

Archambault French
From the archaic French given name Archambault, which is related to Archibald.

Ardovini Italian
Means "son of Arduino".

Arends Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Arendse Southern African, Afrikaans
Variant of Arends.

Arendsen Dutch
Variant of Arends.

Arents Dutch
Variant of Arends.

Arentz Dutch
Variant of Arends.

Arkema Frisian
Means "son of Arke 2".

Arkes Dutch
Means "son of Arke 2".

Armando Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Derived from the given name Armando.

Armani Italian
Means "son of Ermanno".

Ármannsson Icelandic
Means "son of Ármann".

Arnaud French
From the given name Arnaud.

Arnold English
Derived from the given name Arnold.

Arnolfi Italian
Means "son of Arnolfo".

Arntz Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Arntzen Dutch
Means "son of Arend".

Arntzenius Dutch
Latinate form of Arntzen.

Arrighetti Italian
Means "son of Arrighetto", a diminutive of the given name Arrigo.

Arrighi Italian
Means "son of Arrigo".

Arrigucci Italian
Means "son of Arriguccio", a diminutive of the given name Arrigo.

Arts 1 Dutch
Means "son of Aart".

Artz Dutch
Means "son of Aart".

Asjes Dutch
Variant of Askes.

Askes Dutch
Means "son of Aske", a diminutive of Asse.

Assies Dutch
Means "son of Asse".

Assink Dutch
From a place name meaning "(farm) belonging to Asse".

Atsma Frisian
Means "son of Atse".

Aubert French
From the given name Aubert.

Aue German
From German meaning "meadow by a river, wetland". There are many places with this name in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Auer German
From German Aue, Old High German ouwa, meaning "meadow by a river, wetland".

Avery English
Derived from a Norman French form of the given names Alberich or Alfred.

Baaiman Dutch
Means "son of Baaij", the given name Baaij being a diminutive of names like Baugulf, Boudewijn or Bernard.

Baarda Frisian
From the name of the town of Baard in the Netherlands, possibly derived from a given name that was a variant of Bert.

Baardwijk Dutch
From the name of a town in the Netherlands, possibly from Baard, a variant of Bert, and wijk meaning "neighbourhood, district".

Bach German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a stream, from Middle High German bach meaning "stream". This name was borne by members of the Bach musical family, notably the composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Bachman German
Anglicized form of Bachmann.

Bachmann German
Denoted a person who lived near a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and man "man".

Bachmeier German
Originally referred to a farmer whose farm was beside a stream, from Middle High German bach "stream" and meier "steward, tenant farmer".

Bäcker German
Variant of Becker, mostly found in northern Germany.

Baldi Italian
Derived from the given name Baldo.

Baldini Italian
Derived from the given name Baldino, a diminutive of Baldo.

Baldinotti Italian
Derived from the given name Baldinotto, from the Latin name Baldinoctus, a diminutive of Baldo.

Baldovini Italian
Derived from the given name Baldovino.

Baldwin English
Derived from the given name Baldwin.

Bambach German
Variant of Baumbach.

Bardolph Literature
The name of a drunken thief and frequent companion of John Falstaff in four of William Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare probably adapted it from the aristocratic English surname Bardolf, now rare, which was itself derived from the Germanic given name Bardulf.

Barends Dutch
Means "son of Barend".

Bartram English
From the given name Bertram.

Baudin French
From the given name Baud, French form of Baldo.

Bauer German
From Old High German bur meaning "peasant, farmer".

Bauers German
Variant of Bauer.

Baum German, Jewish
Means "tree" in German.

Baumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German bumann meaning "farmer, builder".

Baumbach German
From a place name meaning "tree stream" in German.

Baumer German
Variant of Baum.

Baumgarten German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Baumgärtner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Baumgartner German
Occupational name for a person who worked or lived at an orchard, from German Baumgarten "orchard" (derived from Baum "tree" and Garten "garden").

Baumhauer German
Occupational name meaning "woodcutter", derived from German Baum "tree" and hauen "to chop".

Beck 2 German
Variant of Becker, from southern German beck.

Becke German
Variant of Beck 1 or Beck 2.

Beckenbauer German
Means "farmer living by a stream" in German.

Becker German
Derived from Middle High German becker meaning "baker".

Beckert German
Variant of Becker.

Behrend German
Derived from the given name Bernd.

Behrends German
Derived from the given name Bernd.

Behringer German
From the given name Berengar.

Beitel German
Variant of Beutel.

Bélanger French
From the given name Bérenger.

Belanger English
From the given name Berengar.

Béranger French
From the given name Bérenger.

Berardi Italian
From the given name Berardo.

Berg German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Old High German, Old Dutch and Old Norse berg meaning "mountain".

Berge Norwegian, German, Swedish
Variant of Berg.

Berger 2 German, Dutch
Variant of Berg.

Bergmann German
From Old High German berg meaning "mountain" and man meaning "man", originally denoting someone who lived on a mountain.

Béringer French
From the given name Bérenger.

Beringer German, English
From the given name Berengar.

Berkovich Jewish
Means "son of Berko" in Yiddish, Berko being a derivative of Ber.

Berkowicz Jewish
Variant of Berkovich.

Berkowitz Jewish
Variant of Berkovich.

Bermúdez Spanish
Means "son of Bermudo".

Bernard French, English, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovene
From the given name Bernard.

Bernardi Italian
From the given name Bernardo.

Bernardino Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Bernardino.

Bernardo Portuguese
From the given name Bernardo.

Bernat Catalan
Derived from the given name Bernat.

Bernhard German
From the given name Bernhard.

Bernhardsson Swedish
Means "son of Bernhard".

Berntsen Norwegian, Danish
Means "son of Bernt".

Berntsson Swedish
Means "son of Bernt".

Berti Italian
Derived from the given name Berto.

Bertolini Italian
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Bertoldo.

Bertrand French
Derived from the given name Bertrand.

Beulen Dutch
Means "son of Boele".

Beulens Dutch
Means "son of Boele".

Beumer Dutch
Possibly a Dutch form of Baumer or Böhmer.

Beumers Dutch
Possibly a Dutch form of Baumer or Böhmer.

Beutel German
From Middle High German biutel meaning "bag", originally belonging to a person who made or sold bags.

Beyersdorf German
Means "farmers village", from German Bauer meaning "farmer" and Dorf meaning "village".

Biancardi Italian
Italian form of Blanchard.

Bianchi Italian
From Italian bianco meaning "white", originally given to a person who was white-haired or extremely pale.

Bianco Italian
Variant of Bianchi.

Bieber German, Jewish
From Middle High German biber meaning "beaver", possibly a nickname for a hard worker.

Blanc French
Means "white" in French. The name referred to a person who was pale, or whose hair was blond.

Blanchard French, English
Derived from the given name Blanchard.

Blanchet French
From a diminutive of the name Blanc.

Blanchett French
Variant of Blanchet.

Blanco Spanish
Means "white" in Spanish. The name most likely referred to a person who was pale or had blond hair.

Blanxart Catalan
Catalan form of Blanchard.

Blau German
Means "blue" in German, most likely used to refer to a person who wore blue clothes.

Blum German, Jewish
Means "flower" in German and Yiddish.

Blumenthal German, Jewish
Derived from German Blumen "flowers" and Thal "valley".

Blumstein Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "flower stone" in German.

Boelens Dutch
Means "son of Boele".

Boels Dutch
Means "son of Boele".

Boesch German, Low German
Variant of Bösch 1 or Bösch 2.

Bognár Hungarian
Hungarian form of Wagner.

Bohn German
Occupational name for a bean grower, derived from Middle High German bone "bean".

Borchard German
Derived from the given name Burkhard.

Borchardt German
Derived from the given name Burkhard.

Bos Dutch
Variant of Bosch 1.

Bösch 2 Low German
Variant of Bosch 1.

Bosch 1 Dutch, Low German
Derived from Middle Dutch bosch meaning "wood, forest".

Both Dutch
From the Low German given name Bode.

Botha Southern African, Afrikaans
South African variant of Both.

Bothe Dutch
Variant of Both.

Bouchard French
From the Old German given name Burkhard.

Brand 1 German, English
Derived from the Old German given name Brando or its Old Norse cognate Brandr.

Brand 2 German
From Old High German brant "fire", originally a name for a person who lived near an area that had been cleared by fire.

Brändle German
Derived from a diminutive of the Old German given name Brando.

Brandt German
Variant of Brand 1 or Brand 2.

Brant German, English
Variant of Brand 1 and Brand 2.

Brantley German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Brändle.

Braun German
Means "brown" in German.

Braune German
Variant of Braun.

Breitbarth German
From Old High German breit "broad" and bart "beard", originally a nickname for someone with a full beard.

Bruhn German
Variant of Braun.

Brun French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means "brown" in French, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. It was originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin.

Brune German
Variant of Braun.

Buchholz German
From Middle High German buoche "beech" and holz "wood".

Buckholtz German (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Buchholz.

Bulle Dutch
From the given name Boele.

Bullens Dutch
Means "son of Boele".

Bumgarner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Burgstaller German
From German Burg "fortress, castle" and Stelle "place, position". This was a name given to a person dwelling at or near such a site.

Busch German
Means "bush" in German, a name for someone who lived close to a thicket.

Carl English, German
From the given name Carl.

Charles French
From the given name Charles.

Cline German, Jewish
Anglicized spelling of Klein.

Cody Irish
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cuidighthigh or Mac Óda. A famous bearer was the American frontiersman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917).

Coenen Dutch
Derived from the given name Coenraad.

Colbert English, French
Derived from the given name Colobert.

Corrà Italian
From a short form of the given name Corrado.

Daube German
Variant of Taube.

Dedrick English
Derived from the given name Dederick, an older form of Derek.

Derichs German
Means "son of Dirk".

Derrick English
Derived from the given name Derrick (see Derek). A famous bearer of this surname is the character Stephan Derrick from the German television series Derrick (1974-1998).

Derricks English
Derived from the given name Derrick.

Derrickson English
Means "son of Derrick".

Dick English
From the given name Dick 1.

Dickens English
From the medieval given name Dicun, a medieval diminutive of Dick 1. A famous bearer of this surname was the English writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

Dickenson English
Variant of Dickinson.

Dickinson English
Means "son of Dicun", Dicun being a medieval diminutive of Dick 1. American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was a famous bearer.

Dickson English
Means "son of Dick 1".

Diefenbach German
From a German place name meaning "deep creek".

Dierickx Flemish
Means "son of Dirk".

Dieter German
Derived from the given name Dieter.

Dietrich German
Derived from the given name Dietrich.

Dirchs Dutch (Rare)
Means "son of Dirk".

Dircks Dutch
Means "son of Dirk".

Dircksens Dutch
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirckx Flemish, Dutch
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirix Flemish, Dutch
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirks Dutch, German
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirkse Dutch
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirksen Dutch, German
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirkx Dutch, Flemish
Means "son of Dirk".

Dittmar German
Derived from the given name Dietmar.

Dixon English
Means "son of Dick 1".

Dobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Dobbe, a diminutive of Robert.

Dobson English
Means "son of Dobbe", a medieval diminutive of Robert.

Dodge English
From Dogge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Drechsler German
Variant of Dressler.

Dreher German
Means "turner" from Middle High German drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.

Dreier German
Variant of Dreher.

Dreschner German
Derived from Middle High German dreschen "to thresh". A thresher was a person who separated the grains from a cereal plant by beating it.

Dressler German
Means "turner" from Middle High German dreseler, an agent derivative of drehen "to turn". A turner was a person who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.

Dreyer German
Variant of Dreher.

Duerr German
Variant of Dürr.

Dürr German
Means "thin" in German.

Eberhardt German
Derived from the given name Eberhard.

Eckstein German
From Old High German ekka meaning "edge, corner" and stein meaning "stone".

Eichel German
Means "acorn" in German, indicating a person who lived near an oak tree.

Eilerts German
Derived from the given name Eilert.

Eldridge English
Derived from the given name Aldric.

Elmersson Swedish
Means "son of Elmar".

Elvis English
Variant of Elwes.

Elwes English
Derived from the given name Eloise.