the etymology and history of surnames
|
the etymology and history of surnames
|
| Abbing |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Variant of Abbink. |
| Abel |
|
Usage: English, French, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Spanish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Abel. |
| Abeln |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Abel. |
| Abt |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
|
| Derived from Old Low German abt "abbot". |
| Achilles |
|
Usage: English, Portuguese, German, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Achilles. |
| Acker |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "field", derived from Old English or Old High German (related to the word acre). |
| Ackermann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Modern German form of the Middle High German word ackerman - acker = "field", man = "man". It was an occupational name for a farmer who did not own the fields he worked on. |
| Adam |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Italian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Adam. |
| Adenauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Denoted a person from Adenau (a German city). |
| Adler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "noble eagle" from the Germanic word Adler. |
| Adlersflügel |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "eagle's wing" from the Germanic words Adler "eagle" and Flügel "wing". |
| Aeschelman |
|
Usage: German
|
| Denoted a man from the Aeschel Valley on the Swiss-German border. |
| Albert |
|
Usage: Catalan, English, French, Hungarian, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Albert. |
| Albrecht |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Albrecht. |
| Aleshire |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| An Anglicized form of Aleshite. |
| Aleshite |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Ehlscheid, Germany". |
| Almstedt |
|
Usage: Swedish, German
|
| Means "elm house" in Swedish. |
| Althaus |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller by or in the old house" from the German alt "old" and Haus "house". It can also refer to the German place names Althaus and Althausen as well. |
| Amsel (2) |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a blackbird" in German. |
| Andres |
|
Usage: German, Czech
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Andrew. |
| Arisen |
|
Usage: German
|
| Lived Ohio in 1850 married Margaret Clupper. |
| Armbrüster |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Armbruster. |
| Armbruster |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "crossbow maker" from German armbrust "crossbow". The word armbrust is derived from German arm "arm" and brust "breast" which describes the orientation of the weapon while being used - extending from the breast to the end of the arm. |
| Artz |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Aarts. |
| Aue |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller on the pasture" from the Middle High German ouwe "pasture". There are many place names Aue in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. |
| Auer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Old German name which means "dweller at a swamp or marsh". |
| Aust |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Aust, an archaic diminutive of August. |
| Autenburg |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variation of Auttenberg. |
| Auttenberg |
|
Usage: English, German, Polish
|
| Possibly means "dweller at Ealdwine's hill, mountain" from the Germanic name meaning "old friend" and berg meaning "hill, mountain. |
| Baasch |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
|
| Means "boss" from the Middle Low German baas. |
| Bach |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A topographic name for someone who lived by a stream, from the Middle High German bach, meaning "stream". |
| Bachmeier |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a farmer whose farm is beside a stream" from Middle High German bach "stream", mei(g)er "steward". For more information, see Bach and Meier. |
| Bäcker |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Newer variant of Becke. |
| Bader |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Old High German bad "a bath", most likely referring to a bath attendant. |
| Bähr |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Menas "bear" or "boar" from the Middle High German bër "bear" or ber "boar". Originally it was a nickname for a strong and brave person. |
| Bambach |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Baumbach. |
| Bauer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German bur or bure meaning "farmer". |
| Bauers |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Bauer. |
| Baum |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Means "a tree" in German. |
| Baumann |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German buman meaning "farmer". |
| Baumbach |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the place name Baumbach. |
| Baumgärtner |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Baumgartner. |
| Baumgartner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a person who works at an orchard" from German baumgarten "orchard". The word baumgarten itself is derived from baum "tree" and garten "garden". |
| Baumhauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a woodcutter" from Miggle High German boum "a tree", houwen "to chop". Baum is the modern German word for "a tree". |
| Bayer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From German Bayern "Bavaria", referring to person from Bavaria. |
| Beck (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Becke. |
| Becke |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German occupational name from Middle High German becke meaning "baker". |
| Beckenbauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "basin/bowlmaker" in German. |
| Becker |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Newer variant of Becke. |
| Beckert |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Becker. |
| Behrend |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Bernd. |
| Behrends |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Behrend. |
| Beitel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant form of Beutel. |
| Beltz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German belz "fur". |
| Benn |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Bernhard. |
| Berg |
|
Usage: German, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| It means "mountain" in the Germanic languages. |
| Berger (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "person living on a mountain", from Old High German berg "mountain". |
| Bergfalk |
|
Usage: Swedish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derives from berg meaning "mountain" and falk meaning "falcon". It's a fairly rare name. |
| Beringer |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| From the old Germanic given name Beringer. |
| Bernat |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the German first name Bernhard. |
| Best |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the name of the river Beste. A famous bearer of this surname was football legend George Best. |
| Beutel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| The German word Beutel derives from the Middle High German word biutel meaning "bag". Originally a person with that surname was making and selling bags. |
| Beyer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Bayer. |
| Beyersdorf |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Americanization of what may have been originally Baurnes des Dorf, or "the village of the farmers". Bauer (singular) is the German word for "farmer", Bauern is plural German for "farmers". Dorf is the German translation of "village". |
| Bieber |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| From Middle High German biber ‘beaver’, German Biber, or Yiddish biber, hence a nickname, possibly a nickname for a hard worker, or from some other fancied resemblance to the animal. In some cases the surname may be habitational, from a house or some other place named with this word. As a Jewish name it is largely ornamental. |
| Biermann |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from German bier "beer", mann "man". The name may have referred to a brewer, a tavern owner or a drinker. |
| Bischoffs |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "bishop". |
| Blau |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "blue" in German, most likely used to refer to a person who wore blue clothes. |
| Blecher |
|
Usage: German
|
| Name for someone who worked with tin or sheet metal, from German blech "tin". |
| Bleier |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a worker of lead", derived from German blei "lead". |
| Blumenthal |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German Blumen "flowers", thal "valley". |
| Blumstein |
|
Usage: Jewish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "flower stone" in German. |
| Bocker |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Possibly Old German for a "cooper", or one who makes barrels. |
| Boehler |
|
Usage: German
|
| Spelling variant of Böhler. |
| Boer |
|
Usage: Dutch, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| West Low German Boer = "farmer". |
| Boesch |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant spelling of Bösch. |
| Böhler |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the name of several towns called Böhle in Germany. |
| Böhm |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "Bohemian", a person from Bohemia (Böhmen in German). Bohemia was a former kingdom of the present-day Czech Republic. |
| Böhme |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Böhm. |
| Böhmer |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Originally referred to a person who was from Bohemia (the western Czech Republic). |
| Bohn |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| An occupational name for a grower of beans derived from Middle High German, Middle Low German bone "bean". |
| Borchard |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Burkhard. |
| Bösch |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from a nickname of the given name Sebastian. |
| Bosch |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
|
| Derived from Dutch bussch "wood". |
| Böttcher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name meaning "cooper (barrel maker)" in German. |
| Brahms |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Brams. A famous bearer of this surname is the German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1987). |
| Brand |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Brand, derived from Old High German brant meaning "sword". |
| Brandt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Brand. |
| Brant |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Brand. |
| Brauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle Low German bruwer "a brewer". |
| Braun |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Brun. |
| Braune |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Brun. |
| Breiner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Middle High German brie "porridge". |
| Breisacher |
|
Usage: German
|
| Originally denoted one who came from the town of Breisach, located in Germany. |
| Breitbarth |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "broad beard" from German breit "broad" and bart "beard", originally a nickname for someone with a full beard. |
| Bretz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Breetz", Breetz being a town in lower Saxony. |
| Brinkerhoff |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "home on or near a hill" (i.e., "on the brink"). An early American with this name was Joris Brinkerhoff, who went to New York. |
| Brodbeck |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a bread baker" from Middle High German brot "bread", becke "baker". |
| Brose |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Ambrose. |
| Brotz |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Protz. |
| Bruhn |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Brun. |
| Brun |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German brun meaning "brown". Originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. |
| Brune |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Brun. |
| Buchholz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "beech wood" from German Buch "beech", Holz "wood". |
| Buckholtz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant spelling of Buchholz. |
| Buhr |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German form of Bauer. |
| Bumgarner |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Baumgartner. |
| Burgstaller |
|
Usage: German
|
| From German Burg for a "fortress, castle", and from German Stelle, the site of such a castle. Name given to a person dwelling at or near such a site. |
| Busch |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "bush" in German. The name was most likely a nickname for someone who lived close to a thicket. |
| Carver (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of the German surname Gerber. |
| Dahl |
|
Usage: Dutch, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Middle Low German dal and Old Norse dalr = "valley". A famous of this surname was author Roald Dahl; mostly remembered for children's stories such as 'Matilda' and 'Henry Sugar'. |
| Derrick |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Derrick, which is a form of Derek. A famous bearer of this surname is the character of Stephan Derrick (played by Horst Tappert), the lead character in the German Krimi-series 'Derrick'. |
| Diefenbach |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From an old German place name which meant "deep creek". |
| Dieter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Dieter. |
| Dietrich |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the given name Dietrich. |
| Dirchs |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Variant of Dircks. |
| Dittmar |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a personal name of the elements theud meaning "people" or "race" and mari or meri, meaning "famous". |
| Dohman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a pet form of the given name Thomas. |
| Drechsler |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Dressler. |
| Dreher |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a turner" from Middle High German dræhen "to turn". A turner was a person who worked on a lathe and created small objects from wood or bone used for decoration. |
| Dreschner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German dreschen "to thresh", "to separate the grains from a cereal plant". |
| Dresdner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a person from Dresden" in German. |
| Dressler |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a turner" from Middle High German dreseler. A turner was a person who worked on a lathe and created small objects from wood or bone used for decoration. |
| Duerr |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant spelling of Dürr. |
| Dunkle |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dark" in German. |
| Dunst |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the Middle High German dunst "haze". |
| Dürr |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German dürre "thin". |
| Eberhardt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Eberhard. |
| Ebner (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller on a flat piece of land" from the Middle High German eben(e). |
| Ebner (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "judge, arbiter" from the Middle High German ebenœre. |
| Eckstein |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From German eck meaning "corner" and stein meaning "stone". |
| Egger |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a plow man" from eggen "to dig". |
| Eichel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "acorn" in German. |
| Eilerts |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the given name Eilert. |
| Engel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a German first name starting with Engel-, for example Engelbert. |
| Enns |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a short form of the German first name Anselm. |
| Esser |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "cartwright" from Middle Old German asse "axle". |
| Essert |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Esser. |
| Everhart |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Eberhardt. |
| Fabel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a pet form of the first name Fabian. |
| Faerber |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant spelling of Färber. |
| Falk |
|
Usage: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Old Norse falker and Middle High German valke = "falcon". |
| Falkenrath |
|
Usage: German
|
| Meaning "keeper of the falon" with falk from the Germanic valke for "falcon" and rath meaning "keeper". |
| Färber |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a dyer" from German farbe "colour". |
| Fashingbauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Fasching is a German carnival (Fastnacht = "eve of the beginning of the fast," or the time before Lent) celebrated in Austria and Catholic Bavaria. Bauer is German for "farmer". |
| Faust |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the given name Faust, a form of Faustus. |
| Feigenbaum |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Means "a fig tree" in German. |
| Feld |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "field" in German. The name was originally given to someone who lived on land cleared of forest. |
| Feldt |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Feld. |
| Fenstermacher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "window maker" in German. |
| Fertig |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "ready, prepared" in German. |
| Fiedler |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a fiddler" in German. |
| Fischer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational surname meaning "fisherman" in German. |
| Flater |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "field" in German. |
| Fleischer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "butcher" in German. |
| Foerstner |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant spelling of Förstner. |
| Forst |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German forst "forest". |
| Förstner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German form of Forester. |
| Foth |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "foot". |
| Frank (3) |
|
Usage: German, Dutch, Scandinavian
|
| A name for a person from Franconia in Germany, so called because it was settled by the Frankish people. |
| Franke |
|
Usage: German, Dutch, Flemmish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Frank (3). |
| Frei |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "free" in German. The name most likely referred to someone outside the feudal system. |
| Freud |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "joy" in German. |
| Freudenberger |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "friend of the mountain," from the German "freund/freud," meaning "friend," and "berg," meaning "mountain." The name comes from the Baden/Bavarian area of Germany, as early at the 1400s, and can be found in not only Germany, but Austria and Switzerland, as well, do to migration. |
| Freund |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Middle High German vriunt, modern German Freund = "friend". |
| Fried |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the given name Friedrich; also means "peace" in German. |
| Friedrich |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Friedrich. |
| Fromm |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Middle High German vrom "capable". |
| Frost |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Old English and Old High German. From a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard. |
| Fuchs |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German vuhs meaning "fox". Originally a nickname for a person with red hair. |
| Fuhrmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German vuorman "cartwright". |
| Fürst |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a prince" in German. The word fürst itself is derived from Old High German furisto "(the) first". |
| Fux |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Fuchs. |
| Gabler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| An occupational name for someone who made or sold forks, from German gabel "fork". |
| Gaertner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German variant of Gardner. |
| Garb |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Garber. |
| Garber |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Gerber. |
| Gärtner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German variant of Gardner. |
| Garver |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Gerber. |
| Gass |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Name for someone who lived on a street in a city, from German gasse. |
| Gehrig |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Gehring. |
| Gehring |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Gerhard. |
| Geier |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "vulture" in German, a nickname for someone who is greedy. |
| Geiger |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "fiddle player" in German. This was an occupational name for a fiddler. |
| Geisler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Geiszler. |
| Geissler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Geiszler. |
| Geiszler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix ler signifying an occupation, thus "goat-herder". |
| Gensch |
|
Usage: German
|
| From the given name Gensch, a Sorbian form of John. |
| Gerber |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Gerber is German for "tanner" or "leather dresser", which makes it an occupational German surname. This surname is common in Germany and Switzerland, as are its variants Garber and Garver. Many families with this surname in Europe were members of the Anabaptist peace sects who emigrated to America to escape the widespread persecutions which followed the Reformation. Upon arrival to America as early as the beginning of the 18th century, the original form of the Gerber surname changed spelling in some families to Kerwer, Kerper, Kerwar, Gerver and Carver. |
| Gerhard |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Gerhard. |
| Gerhardt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Gerhard. |
| Gerig |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Gehrig. |
| Gerst |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Middle High German gerst "barley". |
| Gerstle |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Gerst. |
| Gerver |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Gerber. |
| Giehl |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German form of Giles. |
| Giese |
|
Usage: German, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a short form of the personal name Giselbert, or any other Germanic name with the first element gisil. |
| Glöckner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German glocke "bell". The name might have referred to a person who worked at or lived close to a belltower. |
| Goebel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the personal name Göbel, a pet from of the Old German name Godebert, which is derived from god "God" and beraht "bright". |
| Goldschmidt |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "goldsmith" in German. |
| Gorman (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Germanic elements ger "spear" combined with mann "man". |
| Gott |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the short form of various Germanic compound personal names whose first element is either god, meaning "good" or god or got, meaning "god". |
| Gotti |
|
Usage: Swiss, German
|
| Variant of Gott. |
| Gottlieb |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the German first name Gottlieb. |
| Gottschalk |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "servant of god" from Germanic god "god" and scalc "servant". |
| Graner |
|
Usage: German, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| Meaning "of Gran", Gran being the German name for Esztergom, a small city in northern Hungary. |
| Greenberg |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Anglicized form of the German surname Grünberg, which is formed from the words grün "green" and Berg "mountain." This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain. |
| Groos |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Gros |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Gross |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Groß |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German groz meaning "tall, big". |
| Große |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Grosse |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Größel |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany. |
| Großel |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany. |
| Großer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Grosser |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Grosz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Groß. |
| Grünewald |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "green forest" from German grüne "green", Wald "forest". |
| Günther |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Gunther. |
| Gunther |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Gunther. |
| Gutermuth |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Middle High German words guot meaning "good" and muot meaning "mind or spirit". It also means "good spirit, good cheer". It was a name for an optimistic person. |
| Gwerder |
|
Usage: German, Swiss
|
| Originating in a narrow, seculded valley in central Switzerland (Muotathal). Origin is from the Swiss German word gwerig, an adjective meaning "agile" or "alert". |
| Haas |
|
Usage: Dutch, German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hase. |
| Haase |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hase. |
| Haber |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German Haber "oats". This was an occupational name for one who grew or sold oats. |
| Habich |
|
Usage: German
|
| German cognate of Hawk. |
| Habicht |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German cognate of Hawk. |
| Hafner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Middle German hafen "pot, dish", referring to a potter. |
| Hahn |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German han, hane meaning "rooster". Originally a nickname for a proud and pugnacious person. |
| Hall |
|
Usage: Danish, English, German, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble). |
| Harman |
|
Usage: English, French, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hermann. |
| Hartmann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Hartmann. |
| Hase |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German and Middle Low German hase meaning "hare, rabbit". It is a nickname for a timid person. |
| Hasek |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "hare" from the German word haase. |
| Hasenkamp |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "rabbit field", from Middle German hase "rabbit" and kamp "field". Documented in the year 1300. |
| Hass |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Hasso, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element hadu meaning "combat". |
| Hauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop". The name may refer to a butcher or to a woodchopper. |
| Haupt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German cognate of Head (1) or Head (2). |
| Hausler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German word haus meaning "house", combined with the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant. A reference to a resident of a house with no land. |
| Havener |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hafner. |
| Heidrich |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Heidenreich (nowadays merely used as a surname) which comes from the Old High German words heidan meaning "heathen", and reich "power". |
| Heinrich |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the German first name Heinrich. |
| Heinrichs |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Heinrich. |
| Heintze |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich. |
| Hellewege |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the German first name Hellwig, which is a newer form of both Helmwig meaning "helmet & battle" and Heilwig. |
| Heppenheimer |
|
Usage: German
|
| From Heppenheim, the name of a city in Hessen. |
| Herbert |
|
Usage: Dutch, English, French, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the male given name Herbert. |
| Hermann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Hermann. |
| Herrmann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hermann. |
| Herschel |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hirsch (1) or Hirsch (2). |
| Hertz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German herz meaning "heart", a nickname for a big-hearted person. |
| Hildebrand |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Hildebrand. |
| Hinrichs |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Hinrich. |
| Hintzen |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Hintz", a diminutive of Henry. |
| Hirsch (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "deer" in German. This was a nickname for a person who raised, herded, or hunted deer. |
| Hoch |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "tall" in German. |
| Hochberg |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "high hill" in German. |
| Hoefler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hofer. |
| Hofer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational surname meaning "farmer" in German. |
| Hoffman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hofmann. |
| Hoffmann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hofmann. |
| Höfler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hofer. |
| Hofmann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German hove(s)man or hofman meaning "farmer on a farmstead", "owner of a farmstead" or "person working on a farm". |
| Hofmeister |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "master of the household", from Middle German hof "household, court" and meister "master, keeper". |
| Holst |
|
Usage: Low German, Dutch, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Referred originally to a person from the region of Holstein (between Germany and Denmark). Bearers of this name include Gustav Holst, famous English composer. |
| Holtzer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a person who lives near a forest" in German. |
| Hölzer |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Holtzer. |
| Holzer |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Holtzer. |
| Holzknecht |
|
Usage: German
|
| Occupational name for a woodworker's apprentice, from Old German holz "wood" and knecht "apprentice, servant". |
| Holzmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from German holz "wood" and mann "man". The name was given to someone who lived close to a wood, or worked with wood. |
| Hoover |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A name for a land-owner, from Old German huoba, a measure of land. |
| Horn (1) |
|
Usage: English, German, Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn. |
| Horn (2) |
|
Usage: English, German, Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for one who played a horn. |
| Horn (3) |
|
Usage: English, German, Norwegian, Danish
Extra: Statistics |
| Originally given to a person who lived near a horned-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river. |
| Horowitz |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German name for Horovice, a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. |
| Houk |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the medieval German region of Huc, located in northeastern Germany. |
| Hüber |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Huber. |
| Huber |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Name from southern Germany. From Middle High German huober or huob(e)ner meaning "man who owns a hube" (a hube is a piece of land of 30-60 acres). |
| Huff |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "spur of a hill" in Old English. |
| Huffman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Hofmann. |
| Huffmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Hoffmann. |
| Hummel (1) |
|
Usage: German, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Humbert. |
| Hummel (2) |
|
Usage: German, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian
|
| Nickname for a busy person (from the Germanic word hommel meaning "bee"). |
| Hutmacher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German equivalent of the Dutch Hoedemaker. |
| Ingersleben |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "Ingersleben, Germany", which meant "Inge's village". |
| Jaeger |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Jäger. |
| Jäger |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German jeger(e) meaning "hunter". |
| Jager |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Jäger. |
| Janson |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Jan". |
| Jollenbeck |
|
Usage: German
|
| In the village of Jollenbeck Germany, there is a river called the Jölle river which gave Jöllenbeck its name. |
| Jordan (1) |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Polish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Jordan. |
| Jung |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German junc meaning "young". |
| Junge |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Jung. |
| Kahler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "bald-headed" in German. |
| Kaiser |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German keiser meaning "emperor". The word originates from the Latin name Caesar. |
| Kalb |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "calf" (the animal) in German. |
| Kalbfleisch |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Kalbfleisch is an occupational surname that indicated a butcher who sold veal meat or a butcher who slaughtered calves. In German kalb means "calf" and fleisch means "meat". |
| Kappel |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
|
| Means "a person who lives near or works at a chapel" from Middle High German kappel "chapel". |
| Karl |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the personal name Karl. |
| Kaspar |
|
Usage: German, Slovene
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Kaspar. |
| Kassmeyer |
|
Usage: German
|
| From the low german area around Paderborn. Basic meaning is kass or cass = "cash" and meyer = "farmer". |
| Kästner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a cabinet maker" from German kasten "box". |
| Katz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the German word die Katze "cat". |
| Kaube |
|
Usage: German
|
| From the name of a town, Kaub, in Germany. |
| Käufer |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Kaufer. |
| Kaufer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "a trader" in German. |
| Kauffmann |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kaufman. |
| Kaufman |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "merchant" in German. |
| Keil |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle Ages in Germany, it literally means "wedge shaped". It was used to denote one who owned a wedge-shaped piece of land. |
| Keller |
|
Usage: German, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German këller meaning "cellar". This name is either an occupational name for a cellarer or it is for a person who lived in a cellar. |
| Kempf |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German form of Kemp. In order to Americanize the name, some people dropped the letter f, altering the name to the English version. |
| Kerner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German kern "seed". An occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds. |
| Kerper |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Gerber. |
| Kerwar |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Gerber. |
| Kerwer |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Gerber. |
| Kiefer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "pine tree" in German. |
| Kirchner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German kirche "church". The name was probably given to someone who worked at a church or lived near one. |
| Kistler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| An occupational name meaning "chest-maker, cabinet-maker" in German. |
| Kistner |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Kästner. |
| Kleid |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for a tailor, from German Kleid "garment, clothing". |
| Klein |
|
Usage: German, Dutch, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "little" from German klein or Yiddish kleyn. A famous bearer of this name is clothes designer Calvin Klein. |
| Klossner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German Klausner "hermit". |
| Knef |
|
Usage: German
|
| Occupational name for a shoemaker (derived from Low German knif meaning "shoemaker's knife"). |
| Kneib |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Knef. |
| Kneller |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Nickname for a noisy or disruptive person, derived from Old German knellen "to make noise, to cause a disturbance". |
| Knepp |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Knopf. |
| Knochenmus |
|
Usage: German
|
| The German knochen means "bone" and mus means "sauce". It probably referred to someone who worked in the butcher trade. |
| Knopf |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller. |
| Knopp |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Knopf. |
| Koch |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Very common German name. It comes from a German word meaning "cook". |
| Kock |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle Low German kok meaning "cook". |
| Koenig |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German cognate of King. |
| Koenigsmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| It means a "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play. Originally spelled without an e, and with an umlaut. |
| Köhl |
|
Usage: German
|
| A variant of Kohl. |
| Kohl |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Middle High German kol "cabbage". |
| Köhler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kohler. |
| Kohler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller". |
| Kolbe |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "mace" in German. A mace is a heavy medieval war club with a spiked or flanged metal head, used to crush armor. |
| König |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German cognate of King, from Middle High German künnic, künec. |
| Kopp |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Jacob. |
| Kraemer |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Krämer. |
| Krämer |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German kræmer, kramære, kromer and Middle Low German kramer, kremer, kromer meaning "shopkeeper, grocer". |
| Kramer |
|
Usage: German, Low German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Krämer. |
| Krantz |
|
Usage: Jewish, German, Dutch
|
| A variant of Kranz. |
| Kranz |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Derived from Middle High German kranz "wreath". |
| Kraus |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German krus meaning "curly". Originally a nickname for a person with curly hair. |
| Krause |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kraus. |
| Krauss |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kraus. |
| Krauß |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kraus. |
| Krebs |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German word meaning "crab", perhaps a nickname for a person with a crab-like walk. |
| Kröger |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Krüger (1) and Krüger (2). |
| Kron |
|
Usage: German, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "crown", perhaps a nickname for one who worked in a royal household. |
| Kruckel |
|
Usage: German
|
| Nickname for a crippled person or someone who walked with a cane, from German krücke meaning "cane". |
| Krüger (1) |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| In northern Germany: From Middle Low German kroger, kruger meaning "host". |
| Krüger (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| In southern Germany: Means "potter" from Middle High German kruoc meaning "jug, pot". |
| Kruger |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Krüger (1) and Krüger (2). |
| Kruse (1) |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kraus. |
| Kruse (2) |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational surname meaning "potter", from Middle High German kruse "pot, jug". |
| Küchler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| An occupational surname for a baker who made small cakes or cookies. Derived from Middle High German kuoche "cake, pastry". |
| Kuhn |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a diminutive of the German given name Konrad. |
| Kundert |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Konrad. |
| Kunkel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for a maker of spindles (Middle German kunkel "spindle", ultimately from Latin conus "cone"). |
| Kunkle |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Kunkel. |
| Kuntz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from a nickname of Konrad. |
| Kunze |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from a nickname of the given name Konrad. |
| Kurzmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "short man" in German. |
| Laberenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lafrentz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lafrenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Landau |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the German town of Landau, which meant "land valley". |
| Lang |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Scandinavian lang, Middle High German lanc and Middle Low German lank all meaning "long". Originally a nickname for a tall person or family. |
| Lange |
|
Usage: Danish, Norwegian, German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Lang. |
| Langenberg |
|
Usage: German, Swedish
|
| Means "long mountain" in German. |
| Langer |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| German form of Long. |
| Larenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Laurenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lauritz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lawerenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lawrenz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lehmann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Midle High German lehenman "vassal, liege man". |
| Lehrer |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| German surname meaning "teacher". |
| Leitner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Referred to one who dwells on the hillside; one who came from the Leite "slope". This is the name of several places in Germany. |
| Leitz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the archaic given name Leutz, a form of Lutz. |
| Leitzke |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from either Leitzkau, a town close to Magdeburg, Germany, or from Leitz. |
| Lenz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "springtime" in German, from a nickname. |
| Leverenz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lewerentz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lewerenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lichtenberg |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Low German licht "light" and berg "hill". |
| Lieberenz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Linden |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German Linde meaning "lime tree". |
| Loewe |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Löwe. |
| Lohrenz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lorentz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Lorenz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the German given name Lorenz. |
| Lorenzen |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Surname from northern Germany meaning "son of Lorenz". |
| Loris |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Loritz |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Lorenz. |
| Löwe |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "lion" in German. |
| Ludwig |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Ludwig. A famous bearer is the composer Ludwig von Beethoven who composed nine symphonies in addition to dozens of other pieces. |
| Luther |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Lothar. |
| Maas |
|
Usage: Dutch, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Maas. |
| Maier |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Meyer (1). |
| Mandel |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| A variant of Mendel; also means "an almond" in German. |
| Mandelbaum |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Means "an almond tree" in German. |
| Mann |
|
Usage: German, English
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "man". This may have originally been given in order to distinguish the bearer from a younger person with the same name. |
| Marquering |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Derived from the given name Marquer, which was in turn derived from Marquard. Marquard comes from Old German marka, which means "wall" (or "border") and "protector". So actually, the given name Marquard can be explained as "protector of the wall/border". |
| Marqueringh |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Variant of Marquering. |
| Marquerink |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Variant of Marquering. |
| Martel (1) |
|
Usage: English, German
|
| Derived from the given name Martel, a medieval pet form of Martin. |
| Martell (1) |
|
Usage: English, French, German
|
| A variant of Martel (1). |
| Martin |
|
Usage: English, French, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Martin. |
| Martz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from an archaic pet form of Martin. |
| Mas (2) |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| An aphetic form of Thomas. |
| Maurer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name meaning "wall builder" in German. |
| Maus |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "mouse" in German. From the word mûs (Middle High German, Old High German). |
| Mayer (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Meyer (1). |
| Meier |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Meyer (1). |
| Mein |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Meino. |
| Meindl |
|
Usage: German
|
| A diminutive form of Mein. |
| Meinhardt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Meinhard. |
| Meisner |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| A variant of Meissner. |
| Meissner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "a person from Meissen, Germany". |
| Melsbach |
|
Usage: German
|
| German for "miller by the brook". |
| Mendel |
|
Usage: Jewish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Mendel. |
| Mendelsohn |
|
Usage: Jewish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "son of Mendel". |
| Mendelssohn |
|
Usage: Jewish, German
|
| Means "son of Mendel". |
| Messerli |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for a cutler (a knife maker), from German Messer "knife". |
| Messmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| Occupational surname for one who made knives, from German messer "knife". |
| Messner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational surname for a churchwarden. |
| Metz (1) |
|
Usage: German
|
| An occupational name for a cutler derived from Middle High German metze "knife". |
| Metz (2) |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from Mätz, a diminutive form of the given name Matthias. |
| Metzger |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "butcher" in German, given to people who practiced that profession. |
| Meyer (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle High German word mei(g)er which means "higher, superior" and was used for landholder's stewards or great farmers or leaseholders (nowadays a Meier is a dairy farmer). Meier and Meyer are used more often in Northern Germany while Maier and Mayer are used in Southern Germany. |
| Mohren |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
|
| Dutch and German form of Moore (2). |
| Möller |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German form of Müller. |
| Morgenstern |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German lexicon surname which means "morning star". |
| Moser |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Name for someone who lived near a peat bog, from the Middle High German word mos. |
| Mueller |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Müller. |
| Muhlfeld |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "mill field" German. |
| Müller |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| German equivalent of Miller. Derived from Middle High German mülnære or müller. |
| Nagel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "nail" in German, and is probably related to the occupation of carpenter. Could also refer to a smith who specifically made nails. |
| Neuman |
|
Usage: Jewish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Neumann. |
| Neumann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German niuwe and man "new man". |
| Nuremberg |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the name of a city in Germany. It was first spelled Nurnberger and then Nuremberger. |
| Nussbaum |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "nut tree" from the Germanic words nuß meaning "nut" and baum meaning "tree". |
| Nussenbaum |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Variant of Nussbaum. |
| Oberst |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from the uppermost end of a village, top of a house" from the Middle High German ober, obar. |
| Oelberg |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "oil hill" from the Germanic oel "oil" and berg "hill". |
| Ohme |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "uncle". |
| Oliver |
|
Usage: Catalan, English, French, German, Scottish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the personal name Oliver. |
| Oppenheimer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Oppenheim". |
| Ott |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Otto. |
| Otto |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Otto. |
| Oursler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Anglicized form of Ursler. |
| Pahlke |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "tall, thin, pole-like" from the Old French piel, although it may also have denoted a person who lived by a pole, or who worked with poles. |
| Papke |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "pope" from the Latin papa. Usually denoting a pompous man or one who played the part in a play. |
| Papp (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "glutton" from the Late Latin pappare meaning "to eat". |
| Paulis |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Roman family name Paulus (see Paul). |
| Pawlitzki |
|
Usage: German
|
| From the given name Paul. This family was found in West Prussia, in several locations. |
| Peter |
|
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Peter. |
| Peters |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Peter. |
| Pfaff |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| In the Middle Ages the priests in Germany were called Pfaff. |
| Pfenning |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the term pfenni(n)c or pfennig, meaning "penny." It was used in reference to feudal tax obligations. |
| Plank |
|
Usage: German, English
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "plank" from the Latin plancus. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was as thin as a board or a carpenter. |
| Pletcher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Name for someone who lived by a field where cattle fodder was grown or else grew cattle fodder, from the field name pletsch or bletsch. |
| Portner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from German pfoertner, which means "gatekeeper". |
| Prinz |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "prince", used as an ornamental surname by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a 'princely' manner. |
| Protz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from an old German word meaning "snowy". |
| Rademacher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Rademaker. |
| Rademaker |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the old occupation of rademaker; the person who made raden (singular rad). Rad is the old Dutch word for "wheel". |
| Rapp (2) |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dark haired" or "raven-like". |
| Raske |
|
Usage: Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Rask, used in Germany and the Netherlands. |
| Raskob |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Raskoph. |
| Raskop |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Raskoph. |
| Raskoph |
|
Usage: German
|
| From a nickname meaning "hot head". Occurs in the northern Eifel region in Rheinland. |
| Regenbogen |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| From the German word meaning "rainbow". |
| Reier |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Royer. |
| Reiher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Royer. |
| Reiter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Reuter (1). |
| Rettig |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from Middle Low German redik for "radish". Therefore occupational, and applied to greengrocers. |
| Reuter (1) |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller in a clearing" or "clearer of woodland" from the Middle High German riute. |
| Reuter (2) |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "highwayman" from the Middle High German riutœre. |
| Richard |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Richard. |
| Richter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German rihtære meaning "judge". |
| Rier |
|
Usage: English, German
|
| Variant of Royer. |
| Riese |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "giant" from German Riese. |
| Ritter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German word ritter meaning "rider, knight", a cognate of Ryder. |
| Rose (1) |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Scottish, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "rose" from the Middle English, Old French and Middle High German rose. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in a rosy area. Also found derived from the Yiddish royz which always referred to the flower. |
| Rosenberg |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "mountain of roses" in German. |
| Rosenberger |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Rosenberg. |
| Rosenfeld |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "field of roses" in German. |
| Rot |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Variant of Roth. |
| Roth |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German rot meaning "red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair. |
| Rothbauer |
|
Usage: German
|
| From Middle High German roten "to clear land" and bur or bure "farmer". |
| Rothenberg |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "red mountain" from the German rot meaning "red" and berg meaning "mountain". |
| Rothschild |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "red shield, sign" from the German rot "red" and the German/Yiddish s(c)hild "sign, shield". The surname originally comes from one family who took their name from a house with a red shield or sign on it but since has been adopted by unrelated Jews. |
| Sachs |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Old German sachs, which means "Saxon." The Saxons were a Germanic tribe, their name ultimately deriving from the Old Germanic word sahs meaning "knife". Famous bearers of this surname include Hans Sachs (1494-1576), a German poet, and Nelly Sachs (1891-1970), a Swedish dramatist and poet, who was awarded in 1966 with the Nobel prize for literature, poetry and plays about the Jewish people. |
| Saller (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Sallern, Bavaria". |
| Saller (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "(dweller by) a sallow tree" from the Middle High German salhe. |
| Salomon |
|
Usage: English, French, Venetian, German, Danish, Norwegian, Polish, Jewish, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Salomon. |
| Salzwedel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Salzwedel, Germany". |
| Samson |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Jewish, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the name Samson. |
| Samuel |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Samuel. |
| Sander |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Alexander. |
| Sauber |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "clean" in German. Saüßer is the German spelling, Anglicized to Sauber. |
| Schäfer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German schæfære meaning "shepherd". |
| Scheer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From a word meaning "shearer" or "cutter". The word was used both for barbers, who cut hair, and tailors, who cut cloth to make garments. |
| Scheinberg |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Means "lovely, beautiful mountain" from the German schön "fine, beautiful" and berg meaning "mountain". |
| Schenck |
|
Usage: German, Dutch, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German, Middle Dutch schenke meaning "wine server" (from Old High German scenken "to pour out"). As a German name it also denotes a tavernkeeper. |
| Schermer |
|
Usage: Dutch, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name for a fencer or swordsman, akin to Old High German skirmen "to defend". |
| Schindler |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "shingler, roof tiler". A famous bearer is Oskar Schindler, who saved over 1,000 Polish Jews during WWII. |
| Schirmer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "fencer, fencing master" from the Old High German skirmen meaning "to defend". |
| Schlender |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "to dawdle" from the Middle High German slinderen or "to swallow, eat" from the Middle Low German slinden. |
| Schlimme |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "bad" from the German schlimme. |
| Schlusser |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "keeper of the keys" or "jailer" in German. |
| Schmeling |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "small, slender". |
| Schmid |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schmidt. |
| Schmidt |
|
Usage: German, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| From the occupation of schmied, which is "smith" or "metalworker" in English. |
| Schmitt |
|
Usage: German, Hungarian
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schmidt. |
| Schmitz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schmidt. This variant comes from the Rhine area in western Germany. |
| Schneider (2) |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "tailor" from the German schneider or Yiddish shnayder. A famous bearer of the surname is Austrian actress Romy Schneider, remembered for her performance as Sissi. |
| Schnoor |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schnur. |
| Schnur |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "rope maker" from the German schnur or Yiddish shnur. |
| Schoettmer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Schötmar, Germany". |
| Schräder |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schrader. |
| Schrader |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle Low German schrader or schroder meaning "tailor". |
| Schreck |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "to frighten, jump" from the Middle High German schrecken. |
| Schreier |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| German/Yiddish word that means "screamer" or "shrieker" or "crier", perhaps an occupational name for a town crier. There are two main branches of people with the name: Lutherans from Bavaria, and Ashkenazic Jews from the area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire formerly known as Galicia, which is today in southwestern Ukraine. |
| Schröder (1) |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| In northern Germany: Variant of Schrader. |
| Schröder (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| In southern Germany: Variant of Schröter. |
| Schroeder |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schröder (1) and Schröder (2). |
| Schroeter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schröter. |
| Schröter |
|
Usage: German
|
| From Middle High German schrotaere meaning "a carrier of wine or beer barrels". |
| Schubert |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schuchard. |
| Schuchard |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German schuochwürhte, schuochworhte, or schuchwarte meaning "shoemaker". |
| Schuchardt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schuchard. |
| Schuchert |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Schuchard. |
| Schuhmacher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle High German occupational name schuochmacher meaning "shoemaker". |
| Schuler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "scholar, student priest" from the German Schule meaning "school". |
| Schult |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schulte |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schultes |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Early New High German variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schultheis |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schultheiss |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schultheiß |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational surname derived from Middle High German schultheiße meaning "mayor, judge". |
| Schultz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schultze |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schulz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schulze |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schultheiß. |
| Schumacher |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schuhmacher. |
| Schuster |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle High German occupational name schuoster meaning "shoemaker". |
| Schuttmann |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "watchman, guard" from the Middle High German schützen. |
| Schwangau |
|
Usage: German
|
| From a town in Germany that means "swan land". |
| Schwartz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schwarz. |
| Schwarz |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German swarz meaning "black". Originally described a person with black hair or a black complexion. |
| Schwarzenegger |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "harrower of the dark fields" or "dark harrower of the fields" from the German schwarz meaning "dark, black" and egge meaning "harrow". A well known bearer of this name is actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger. |
| Schwenke |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Middle High German word swenke which means "to swing". This was probably a hint at the gait of the person. Alternatively, it can also be be derived from the given name Sweneke, a Low German form of the name Swanhild. One last theory states that it is derived from the town of Schwenke (situated in Nordrhein-Westfalen). |
| Schwinghammer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From German words for "swing" and "hammer." This was originally a nickname for a blacksmith. |
| Seelenfreund |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Middle High German vriunt, modern German freund, meaning "friend" and modern German seele, meaning "soul". |
| Seidel |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German word seidel meaning "beer mug". |
| Senft (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "mustard seller" from the German Senf(t). |
| Senft (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| A nickname for a helpful, kind person from the Middle High German senfte meaning "soft, accomodating". |
| Sheinfeld |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Means "lovely, beautiful field" from the German schön "fine, beautiful" and feld meaning "field". |
| Shriver |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational name referring to an official or public writer, from German schreiben "to write". |
| Siegel (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "maker of seals or signet rings". |
| Siegel (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from diminutive forms of Germanic names beginning with the element sigi meaning "victory". |
| Siekert |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the given name Siegbert. |
| Siemon |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Simon. |
| Silverstein |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "silver stone" from German Silber + Stein. It was adopted when the Jews in Europe were compelled to take surnames in the early part of the 19th century. |
| Simen |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Simon. |
| Simmon |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Simon. |
| Simon |
|
Usage: Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the Hebrew first name Simon. |
| Simons |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Simon. |
| Sinasohn |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Variant of Sinason. |
| Siskin |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "sweet child" from the words suess meaning "sweet" and kind meaning "child". |
| Siskind |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Siskin. |
| Sitz (1) |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a given name beginning with the Germanic element sigi meaning "victory". |
| Sitz (2) |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "house owner" from the Middle High German siz "seat, domicile". |
| Slusser |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Schlusser. |
| Solberg |
|
Usage: Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Germanic elements sol "sun" combined with berg "mountain". |
| Sommer (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German sumer and Middle Low German sommer meaning "summer". Name for farmers who had to deliver their taxes in the summer or who had their fields in the south of the village. |
| Sommer (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German soumære, sommer and Middle Low German somer(e) meaning "sumpter, animal driver". |
| Sommer (3) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German sumber, sommer meaning "basket, wickerwork or drum". |
| Sommer (4) |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle Low German somer meaning "long and slim stake, pile, post". |
| Sonnen |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "sun" from the Middle High German sunne. Probably denoted someone of a cheerful temperament but in some cases could describe a person who lived in a sunny area. |
| Sorg |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Sorge. |
| Sorge |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "worry, care, anxiety" from the Middle High German sorge. |
| Spannagel |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "nailsmith" from the Middle High German span-nagel "connecting bolt". |
| Specht |
|
Usage: German, Dutch
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "woodpecker" in German and Dutch. |
| Spellmeyer |
|
Usage: German
|
| The second element meyer means "village headman". The first element is possibly from the Germanic spielen meaning "to play, jest". Perhaps it referred to someone who was playing or acting as the village headman. |
| Spitznogle |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "sharp nail" in German. |
| Sponaugle |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Americanized form of Spannagel. |
| Stark |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "strong, brave" in Old German and Old English. |
| Stauss |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "buttocks" from the Middle High German stuz. |
| Steen |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German variant of Stein. |
| Steffen |
|
Usage: German, English
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Stephen. |
| Stein |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Old High German word stein meaning "stone". It is common in German-Jewish names like Bernstein and Orenstein. |
| Steinmann |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "stone man" either used as an occupational name for a stone worker, a habitational name for a man who lived by a stone or as a nickname for a strong man. It most commonly a habitational name. |
| Stenger |
|
Usage: Danish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Name for a post maker, from German stange "pole". |
| Sternberg |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller on a star(ry) hill, mountain" from the German stern "star" and berg "mountain, hill". |
| Steube |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Steuben. |
| Steuben |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "dweller by a stump of a large tree". |
| Stieber |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the High German verb stiuben "to escape". The name was given as a nickname to a cowardly person, or a thief. |
| Stoppelbein (1) |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "stump leg" from the Middle Low German stoppel "stump" and bein "leg". |
| Stoppelbein (2) |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "dweller by a tree stump on communal land" from the Middle Low German stoppel "stump" and bein(t) "communal land". |
| Strand |
|
Usage: Danish, German, Norwegian
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle Low German word strand meaning "sea shore". Originally given to someone who lived on or near the sea. |
| Straub |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "rough, unkempt" from the Middle High German strup. |
| Strobel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "rough, unkempt" from the Middle High German str?b. |
| Strohkirch |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means literally "straw church" in German. Apparently it's a German translation of a Swedish aristocratic name. |
| Stroman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Occupational surname meaning "straw-dealer" in German. |
| Stuber |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from German die Stube "room". The name was most likely used to denote the owner of an inn. |
| Stueck |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "piece, part" from the Middle High German st?ck. |
| Stumpf |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "stump" from the Middle High German stumpf. |
| Sturm |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "storm". |
| Suess |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| From a Jewish ornamental name from the Middle High German süss "sweet". |
| Sulzbach |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| This is a topynomic name, in that people with this name are named after the place they lived. During Charlemagne's time, Germany was mapped, with certain places being named for their geologic characteristics, for example Salzberg means "Salt Mountain". Areas named Sulzbach were named such because the area had salty water, hence the name meaning "salty brook". |
| Swango |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Americanized variation of the German surname Schwangau. |
| Switzer |
|
Usage: German, Swiss
Extra: Statistics |
| A topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. |
| Tangeman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "from Tange, Oldenburg" or "(dweller on) a sandy ridge between moors" from the Middle High German tange. |
| Teufel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From a nickname meaning "devil", given to a mischevious person or one who is devil-like. |
| Tiedeman |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the given name Diederick. |
| Tifft (1) |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Toft. |
| Tillens |
|
Usage: Dutch, Flemmish, German
|
| From the Germanic name Thietilo, a medieval pet form of Dietrich. |
| Tobias |
|
Usage: English, French, German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the personal name Tobias. |
| Tolkien |
|
Usage: German
|
| Derived from the Saxon Tollkühn, meaning "foolhardy". A famous bearer was author J. R. R. Tolkien. |
| Tresler |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "treasurer". |
| Tritten |
|
Usage: German, Swiss
Extra: Statistics |
| Topographic name for someone who lived by a step or flight of steps, from Middle High German trit "step". |
| Trumbauer |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Tschida |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from a Slavic given name of unknown origin. |
| Unkle |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Unkel". Unkel is a place in Rhineland Palantinate, located about 15 kilometers south of Bonn on the Rhine. |
| Unruh |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Refers to a restless, fidgety, nervous person, from German unruhe, meaning "unrest". |
| Unterbrink |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "dweller under the slope, edge" from the Middle Low German unter "under" and brinc "edge, slope". |
| Ursler |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Ursel, Germany". |
| Vann (2) |
|
Usage: Dutch, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller by a water (a freshwater lake)" from the Middle High German vann. |
| Van Tonder |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Tonder, Denmark". |
| Venetianer |
|
Usage: German, Italian, Jewish
|
| Probably one of the few surnames with an unique known ancestor - Mr. Alexsandor Vinazie, a Jewish gentlemen who possibly emigrated from Venice to the town of Liptovsky Mikulas in a region which today is known as the Slovak Republic. Vinazie was later germinized to its present form Venetianer. |
| Victor |
|
Usage: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the male given name Victor. |
| Vieth |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Vito. |
| Vogel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German vogel meaning "bird". Originally a nickname for a happy person. |
| Vogt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Middle High German occupational name voget, vogt, voit meaning "overseer, bailiff, lawyer". |
| Vogts |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Patronymic variant of Vogt. |
| Voigt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Vogt. |
| Voigts |
|
Usage: German
|
| Patronymic variant of Vogt. |
| Volk |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from given names that began with the Germanic element folk meaning "people". |
| Voll (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Volk. |
| Von Brandt |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "(dweller in an) area cleared by fire" from the Middle High German brant. |
| Von Essen |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Essen (a city in Germany)" in German. |
| Von Grimmelshausen |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Grimmel's houses", from von, the German word "from"; Grimmel, a name or place, alternatively a word of uncertain meaning; hausen, the plural of the word for "house". |
| Von Ingersleben |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "from Ingersleben, Germany". Ingersleben means "Inge's village". |
| Vonnegut |
|
Usage: German
|
| Possibly means "(dweller by the) good hunting track" from the Germanic vonn "hunting track" and gut "good". |
| Von Wegberg |
|
Usage: German
|
| German surname meaning "of Wegberg". Wegberg is a small town in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany, close to the border of Germany-The Netherlands. |
| Voss |
|
Usage: Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle Low German vos meaning "fox". Originally a nickname for a very clever person or for a person with red hair. |
| Voß |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Voss. |
| Wägner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wagner. |
| Wagner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German wagener meaning "cartwright". Borne by German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). |
| Wähner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wagner. |
| Wahner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wagner. |
| Waldfogel |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| Means "forest bird". Derived from the Old High German words wald, meaning "forest" and fogal meaning "bird". |
| Waldvogel |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant spelling of Waldfogel. |
| Walkenhorst |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the place name Falkenhorst in Germany, which means "wooded hill inhabited by falcons". |
| Walter |
|
Usage: English, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Derived from the first name Walter. |
| Walther |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Walther. |
| Waltz |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Diminutive of Walther. |
| Warner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Werner. |
| Waxweiler |
|
Usage: German
|
| Denoted a person from Waxweiler, a village in the Eifel region of Germany 20 km north of Trier. |
| Weber |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Weeber, used more commonly today in Germany. |
| Wechsler |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "money changer, banker" from the German word Geldwechsler "money changer". |
| Wedekind |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From an Old German given name composed of the elements witu "woods" and chind "child". |
| Weeber |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German for "weaver". |
| Wegener |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German variant of Wagner. |
| Wegner |
|
Usage: German, Low German
Extra: Statistics |
| Low German variant of Wagner. |
| Wehner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wagner. |
| Wehunt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Americanized form of German Weigand, which is a variant of Wiegand. |
| Weigand |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wiegand. |
| Weiman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "wine seller, producer" from the German Wein, Middle High German w?n. |
| Weiner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wagner. |
| Weiss |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German wiz meaning "white". Originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin. |
| Weiß |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Weiss. |
| Welter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Walter. |
| Werner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Werner. |
| Wernerus |
|
Usage: German
|
| Latinized form of Werner. |
| Wernher |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Werner. |
| Westerberg |
|
Usage: Swedish, German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "west of the mountain", originally referring to a person who lived there. |
| Wetterman |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means "weatherman" perhaps referring to someone who foretold the weather, from the German wetter. |
| Wetzel |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the given name Wenzel. |
| Wexler |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wechsler. |
| Wieck |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "dweller in an outlying settlement that was dependent on a larger village" from the Latin vicus. |
| Wiegand |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "noble and worthy". From the Breton personal name Wiucon. |
| Wildgrube |
|
Usage: German
|
| Possibly means "dweller by the wild (animal's) den" from the German grube "hollow, pit" and wild "wild, untamed". |
| Winter |
|
Usage: English, German, Swedish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the Old English winter or the Old High German wintar (Middle High German winter) meaning "winter". This was the name of farmers who had to deliver their taxes in winter time and of farmers who had their fields in the north of the village. |
| Winther (1) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German first name Winther (Old High German winid "Wend, Sorb" + heri "army"). |
| Winther (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Winter. |
| Wirner |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Werner. |
| Wirnhier |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Werner. |
| Wirt |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wirth. |
| Wirth |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Means "innkeeper" from the German Wirt "host". |
| Wolf |
|
Usage: German, English
Extra: Statistics |
| From Middle High German wolf meaning "wolf". |
| Wolff |
|
Usage: German, Norwegian, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Wolf. |
| Wolter |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Walter. |
| Wörner |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Werner. |
| Wörnhör |
|
Usage: German
|
| Variant of Werner. |
| Wruck |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Nickname from Middle Low German wruk or wrok, meaning "cantankerous". Although it could also be related to the German word wruck meaning "root of a tree" or "beetroot". |
| Wyman (2) |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Americanized form of Weiman. |
| Zellweger |
|
Usage: German
|
| Means “from Zellweg,” a location in Germany. The place name Zellweg means “path to a small monatery, chamber” from the German zelle “small chamber, monastery” and weg “path, way”. A famous bearer of this name is actress Renee Zellweger. |
| Zilberschlag |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
|
| An occupational surname for a silversmith from Yiddish zilber "silver" and schlag "strike". |
| Zimmerman |
|
Usage: German
Extra: Statistics |
| Variant of Zimmermann. |
| Zimmermann |
|
Usage: German, Jewish
Extra: Statistics |
| From the German word for "carpenter", derived from Middle High German zimber "timber, wood" and mann "man". |
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