German Origin Surnames

Hofer German
Occupational name for a farmer, from German Hof "farm", from Old High German hof "yard, court".

Hoffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Hoffmann German
From Middle High German hofmann meaning "farmer".

Höfler German
Variant of Hofer.

Hofmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hofmeister German
Means "master of the household", from Old High German hof "yard, court, house" and meistar "master" (from Latin magister).

Holland 2 Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person from the Dutch province of Holland 1.

Holst Danish, Low German, Dutch
Originally referred to a person from the region of Holstein between Germany and Denmark. A famous bearer of this name was the English composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934).

Holtz German
German cognate of Holt.

Hölzer German
German cognate of Holt.

Holzer German
German cognate of Holt.

Holzknecht German
Occupational name for a forester's helper, from Old High German holz "wood" and kneht "servant, apprentice".

Holzmann German
Derived from Old High German holz "wood" and man "man", a name for someone who lived close to a wood or worked with wood.

Hoover German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Huber.

Horn English, German, Norwegian, Danish
From the Old English, Old High German and Old Norse word horn meaning "horn". This was an occupational name for one who carved objects out of horn or who played a horn, or a person who lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature, such as a mountain or a bend in a river.

Hüber German
Variant of Huber.

Huber German
Occupational name for a farmer, derived from Old High German huoba "plot of land, farm".

Hubert French, German, English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Huffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Huffmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hummel 1 German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Humbert.

Hummel 2 German, Dutch
Nickname for a busy person, from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch hommel, Middle High German hummel, all meaning "bee".

Hutmacher German
German cognate of Hoedemaker.

Ingersleben German
From the name of the town of Ingersleben, Germany, which meant "Inge's village".

Jaeger German
Variant of Jäger.

Jäger German
Means "hunter" in German, from Old High German jagon meaning "to hunt".

Jager German
Variant of Jäger.

Jahn German
From a Low German short form of Johannes.

Jans Dutch, German
Means "son of Jan 1".

Janson German, Dutch, Swedish, English
Means "son of Jan 1".

Janz German
Means "son of Jan 1".

Jöllenbeck German
From the name of a village in western Germany, itself derived from the name of the Jölle, a small river, combined with Low German beck "stream".

Jordan 1 English, French, German
Derived from the given name Jordan.

Jundt German
Derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name Judith.

Jung 1 German
Means "young" in German, from Middle High German junc.

Junge German
Variant of Jung 1.

Kahler German
From a nickname derived from German kahl meaning "bald".

Kaiser German
From Middle High German keiser meaning "emperor", originally a nickname applied to someone who acted kingly. The title ultimately derives from the Roman name Caesar.

Kalb German
Occupational name meaning "calf (animal)" in German.

Kalbfleisch German
Occupational name for a butcher who dealt in veal, from German kalb meaning "calf" and fleisch meaning "meat".

Kappel German, Dutch
Name for a person who lived near or worked at a chapel, ultimately from Late Latin cappella, a diminutive of cappa "cape", arising from the holy relic of the torn cape of Saint Martin, which was kept in small churches.

Karl German
From the given name Karl.

Kaspar German
Derived from the given name Kaspar.

Kästner German
Means "cabinet maker", derived from Middle High German kaste "box".

Kaube German
From the name of the town of Kaub in Germany.

Käufer German
Variant of Kaufer.

Kaufer German
Means "trader" in German.

Kauffmann German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kaufman German, Jewish
Variant of Kaufmann.

Kaufmann German, Jewish
Means "trader, merchant" in German.

Keil German
Means "wedge shaped" in German. It was used to denote a person who owned a wedge-shaped piece of land.

Keller German
Means "cellar" in German, an occupational name for one in charge of the food and drink.

Kempf German
German cognate of Kemp.

Kerner German
Derived from Old High German kerno "seed", an occupational name for one who sold or planted seeds.

Kerper German
Variant of Gerber.

Kiefer 1 German
Means "pine tree" in German.

Kiefer 2 German
Occupational name for a barrel maker, derived from Old High German kuofa meaning "barrel".

Kirch German
German cognate of Church.

Kirchner German
Derived from Middle High German kirchenaere meaning "sexton".

Kistler German
Occupational name meaning "chest maker, cabinetmaker" from Middle High German kiste.

Kistner German
Variant of Kistler.

Klassen German
Means "son of Klaus".

Klein German, Dutch, Jewish
Means "small, little" from German klein or Yiddish kleyn. A famous bearer of this name is clothes designer Calvin Klein (1942-).

Klossner German
Derived from German Klausner, Middle High German klosenære meaning "hermit".

Knef German
Occupational name for a shoemaker, derived from Low German knif meaning "shoemaker's knife".

Kneib German
Variant of Knef.

Kneller German
Originally a nickname for a noisy or disruptive person, derived from Old German knellen "to make noise, to cause a disturbance".

Knepp German
Variant of Knopf.

Knochenmus German
From German Knochen "bone" and Mus "sauce". It probably referred to someone who worked in the butcher trade.

Knopf German
Means "button" in German, originally belonging to a button maker or button seller.

Knopp German
Variant of Knopf.

Koch German
German cognate of Cook.

Koenig German
German cognate of King.

Koenigsmann German
Variant of Königsmann.

Köhl German
Variant of Kohl.

Kohl German
Derived from Middle High German kol "cabbage".

Köhler German
Variant of Kohler.

Kohler German
From Middle High German koler meaning "charcoal burner" or "charcoal seller".

Kolbe German
From Middle High German kolbe meaning "club".

König German
German cognate of King.

Königsmann German
Means "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play.

Kopp German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Jakob.

Kraemer German
Variant of Krämer.

Krämer German
Means "shopkeeper, merchant" in German, derived from Old High German kram meaning "tent, trading post".

Krantz German, Jewish
Variant of Kranz.

Kranz German, Jewish
Derived from Old High German kranz meaning "wreath", an occupational name for a maker of wreaths or an ornamental Jewish name.

Kraus German
From Middle High German krus meaning "curly", originally a nickname for a person with curly hair.

Krause German
Variant of Kraus.

Krauss German
Variant of Kraus.

Krauß German
Variant of Kraus.

Krebs German
Means "crab" in German, perhaps a nickname for a person with a crab-like walk.

Kröger German
Variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2.

Kron German, Swedish
From German Krone and Swedish krona meaning "crown" (from Latin corona), perhaps a nickname for one who worked in a royal household.

Krückel German
Nickname for a crippled person or someone who walked with a cane, from Middle High German krücke meaning "cane".

Krüger 1 German
In northern Germany an occupational name for a tavern keeper, derived from Middle Low German kroch meaning "tavern".

Krüger 2 German
In southern Germany an occupational name for a potter, derived from Middle High German kruoc meaning "jug, pot".

Kruger German
Variant of Krüger 1 and Krüger 2.

Kruse German
Variant of Kraus.

Küchler German
Occupational surname for a baker who made small cakes or cookies, derived from Middle High German kuoche "cake, pastry".

Kuhn German
Derived from a diminutive of the German given name Konrad.

Kundert German
Derived from the given name Konrad.

Kunkel German
Occupational name for a maker of distaffs, from Middle High German kunkel "distaff, spindle", of Latin origin.

Kunkle German
Variant of Kunkel.

Kuntz German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad.

Kunz German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad.

Kunze German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Konrad.

Kurz German
Means "short" in German, ultimately from Latin curtus.

Kurzmann German
Means "short man" in German.

Lafrentz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Lafrenz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Landau German, Jewish
Derived from the town of Landau in the Palatinate region of Germany, of Old High German origin meaning "land valley".

Lang German, Danish, Norwegian
German, Danish and Norwegian cognate of Long.

Lange German, Danish, Norwegian
German, Danish and Norwegian cognate of Long.

Langenberg German, Dutch
From various place names meaning "long mountain" in German and Dutch.

Langer German, Jewish
German cognate of Long.

Laurenz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Lawrenz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Lehmann German
From Middle High German lehenman meaning "vassal, liege man".

Lehr German
From Old High German loh meaning "meadow, clearing".

Leitner German
Referred to one who lived on a hillside, from Middle High German lite "slope".

Leitz German
Derived from the archaic given name Leutz, a variant of Lutz.

Leitzke German
Either from Leitzkau, the name of a town in Saxony-Anhalt, or from a diminutive of the given name Leutz, a variant of Lutz.

Lenz German
From a nickname meaning "springtime" in German.

Leverenz German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Lewerenz.

Lewerentz German
Variant of Lewerenz.

Lewerenz German
From a northern German form of the given name Lorenz.

Linden German, Dutch
Indicated a person who lived near a linden tree, derived from Old High German linta or Old Dutch linda.

Lindner German
Variant of Linden.

Loewe German
Variant of Löwe.

Lohrenz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Lorentz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Lorenz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Loris German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Loritz German
Derived from the given name Lorenz.

Löwe German, Jewish
Means "lion" in German.

Ludwig German
From the given name Ludwig.

Luther German
From the old given name Leuthar. It was notably borne by the religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546).

Maier 1 German
Variant of Meyer 1.

Mandel German, Yiddish
Means "almond" in German, an occupational name for a grower or seller, or a topographic name for a person who lived near an almond tree. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Mangold German
From the given name Managold.

Mann German, English
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.

Manz German
From a diminutive of the given name Managold.

Markwardt German
Variant of Marquardt.

Marquardt German
From Old High German marka "border, boundary" and wart "protector". This was an occupational name for a border guard.

Marquering Dutch
Possibly a Dutch form of Marquardt.

Martin English, French, German, Swedish
Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.

Martz German
Derived from an old diminutive of Martin.

Maurer German
Occupational name meaning "wall builder" in German.

Maus German
From a nickname meaning "mouse", from Old High German mus.

Mayer 1 German
Variant of Meyer 1.

Meier 1 German
Variant of Meyer 1.

Mein German
Derived from the given name Meino.

Meindl German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Meino.

Meinhardt German
Derived from the given name Meinhard.

Meisner German
Variant of Meissner.

Meissner German
Originally denoted a person from the German town of Meissen, which is probably of Slavic origin.

Melsbach German
From the name of a German town, possibly meaning "mill stream".

Mendel 2 German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Meino. A famous bearer was Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), a Czech monk and scientist who did experiments in genetics.

Merkel German
From a diminutive of the given name Markus. A notable bearer is the former German chancellor Angela Merkel (1954-).

Messer German
Occupational name for a person who made knives, from Middle High German messer "knife".

Messerli German (Swiss)
Swiss diminutive form of Messer.

Messmann German
Variant of Messer.

Messner German
Occupational name for a sexton or churchwarden, from Old High German mesinari.

Metz 1 German
Occupational name for maker of knives, from Middle High German metze "knife".

Metz 2 German
Derived from Mätz, a diminutive of the given name Matthias.

Metzger German
Means "butcher" in German.

Meyer 1 German
From Middle High German meier meaning "bailiff, administrator", derived from Latin maior meaning "greater". Later it also denoted a tenant farmer. The spellings Meier and Meyer are more common in northern Germany while Maier and Mayer are more common in southern Germany.

Meyers German, English
Patronymic form of Meyer 1, Mayer 3 or Myer.

Michael English, German
From the given name Michael.

Michaelis German
Derived from the given name Michael.

Michel French, German, Dutch, Basque
Derived from the given name Michel, Michiel or Mitxel.

Minett English
From the medieval given name Minna.

Mohren German
Derived from the given name Maurus.

Morgenstern German, Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "morning star" in German.

Moser German
Name for someone who lived near a peat bog, from Middle High German mos.

Mounce German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of German Manz.

Mueller German
Variant of Müller.

Muhlfeld German
Means "mill field" in German.

Müller German
German equivalent of Miller, derived from Middle High German mülnære or müller.

Muller German
Variant of Müller.

Mynatt English
Variant of Minett.

Nagel German, Dutch
Means "nail" in German and Dutch, an occupational name for a carpenter or nailsmith.

Neuman German, Jewish
Variant of Neumann.

Neumann German, Jewish
From Middle High German niuwe and man meaning "new man, newcomer".

Nuremberg German
Derived from the name of a city in Bavaria, Germany.

Nussbaum German, Jewish
Means "nut tree", derived from the German Nuss "nut" and Baum "tree".

Oberst German
From Old High German obar meaning "above, upper", indicating a person from the uppermost end of a village or the top of a house.

Oelberg German
Means "oil hill" from Middle High German öl "oil" and berg "mountain, hill".

Ogtrop Dutch
Originally denoted a person who was from the town of Ochtrup in Germany, which is of uncertain origin.

Ohme German
From Middle High German oem meaning "maternal uncle".

Oliver English, Catalan, German, French
Derived from the given name Oliver.

Oppenheimer German
Originally indicated a person from Oppenheim, Germany, perhaps meaning "marshy home". A notable bearer was the American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967).

Ott English, German
From the given name Otto.

Otto German
From the given name Otto.

Oursler German
Originally a name designating a person from Ursel (now Oberursel) in Hesse, Germany.

Pabst German
From German Papst, a cognate of Pope.

Pahlke German
Low German cognate of Peel.

Papp 2 German
Nickname perhaps related to Late Latin pappare meaning "to eat".

Paul English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Paul.

Pawlitzki German
German surname derived from a Slavic form of the given name Paul.

Peter English, German, Dutch
Derived from the given name Peter.

Peters English, German, Dutch
Means "son of Peter".

Pfaff German
From a nickname meaning "priest, cleric" from Old High German pfaffo, from Latin papa.

Pfeiffer German
Occupational name meaning "pipe player" in German, from Middle High German pfifen "to whistle".

Pfenning German
From Old High German pfenning meaning "penny, coin". It was used in reference to feudal tax obligations.

Pichler Upper German
From Bavarian Bühel meaning "hill".

Pilgrim English, German
Nickname for a person who was a pilgrim, ultimately from Latin peregrinus.

Planck German
German variant of Plank.

Plank German, English
Means "plank", from Old French, itself from Late Latin planca. This could have referred to a person who lived by a plank bridge over a stream, someone who was thin, or a carpenter.

Pletcher German
Anglicized form of Pletscher.

Pletscher German
Possibly from the name of a field where cattle fodder was grown, from German Bletsch.

Pohl 2 German
From the given name Paul.

Polzin German
From the name of a town in Pomerania, Poland (formerly part of Germany). In Polish it is called Połczyn.

Porsche German
Possibly derived from German Bursche meaning "boy, servant" or from the given name Boris.

Post Dutch, German, English
Indicated a person who lived near a post, ultimately from Latin postis.

Prinz German, Jewish
Means "prince", used as an ornamental name by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner.

Protz German
From a nickname meaning "showy, pompous", derived from an old southern German word meaning "toad".

Rapp 2 German
From Middle High German raben meaning "raven", a nickname for a person with black hair.

Rasch German
German form of Rask.

Raskob German
Variant of Raskopf.

Raskop German
Variant of Raskopf.

Raskopf German
Possibly from German rasch "quick" and Kopf "head".

Regenbogen German, Jewish
From a German nickname meaning "rainbow", probably a habitational name for someone who lived in a house with the sign of a rainbow. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Reich German, Jewish
Nickname for a wealthy or powerful person, from Old High German rihhi "rich, powerful".

Reier German
Variant of Reiher.

Reiher German
Means "heron" in German, a nickname for a person with long legs.

Reis German, Jewish
From Middle High German ris meaning "twig, branch, bush", denoting a person who lived in an overgrown area. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Reiter German
Variant of Reuter 1.

Rettig German
Derived from Middle High German retich, Middle Low German redik meaning "radish", an occupational name for a grower or seller of radishes.

Reuter 1 German
Fom Middle High German riute meaning "cleared land".

Reuter 2 German
From Middle High German riutœre meaning "highwayman, thief".

Reyer German
Variant of Reiher.

Richard English, French, German, Dutch
From the given name Richard.

Richter German
Means "judge" in German, from Middle High German rihtære.

Riese German, Jewish
Means "giant" in German, from Old High German risi.

Riker German
Possibly a variant of Reich.

Ritter German
From Middle High German riter meaning "rider, knight", a cognate of Ryder.

Rose 1 English, French, German, Jewish
Means "rose" from Middle English, Old French and Middle High German rose, all from Latin rosa. All denote a person of a rosy complexion or a person who lived in an area abundant with roses. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental, from Yiddish רויז (roiz).

Rosenberg German, Swedish, Jewish
Means "rose mountain" in German and Swedish. As a Swedish and Jewish name it is ornamental.

Rosenberger German, Jewish
Variant of Rosenberg.

Rosenfeld German, Jewish
Means "field of roses" in German. As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Rot German, Jewish
Variant of Roth.

Roth German, Jewish
From Middle High German rot meaning "red". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.

Rothbauer German
From Old High German riuten "to clear land" and bur "peasant, farmer".

Rothenberg German, Jewish
From Middle High German rot meaning "red" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish name it may be ornamental.

Ruf German
From the given name Rolf.

Ruff German, English
From the given name Rolf.

Ryer German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Reiher.

Sachs German
Originally indicated a person from Saxony (German Sachsen). The region was named for the Germanic tribe of the Saxons, ultimately derived from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife".

Saller 1 German
Originally denoted a person from the town of Sallern in Bavaria, possibly from a Celtic element meaning "stream".

Saller 2 German
Denoted a person who lived by a prominent sallow tree, from Middle High German salhe "sallow tree".

Salomon French, German, Jewish
Derived from the given name Salomon or Salomo.

Salzwedel German
Originally denoted a person from Salzwedel, Germany, which is of Old Saxon origin meaning "salt ford".

Sander German, Danish
Derived from the given name Alexander.

Sauber German
Means "clean, tidy" in German.

Sauer German
Means "sour" in German, a nickname for an embittered or cantankerous person.

Sauter German
Occupational name for a cobbler, from Latin sutor "sewer, cobbler".

Schäfer German
From Old High German scaphare meaning "shepherd".

Scheer German, Dutch
Variant of Scherer.

Schenck German
Variant of Schenk.

Schenk German, Dutch
From Middle High German, Middle Dutch schenke meaning "wine server" (from Old High German scenken "to pour out").

Scherer German
Occupational name for a cutter of cloth or a sheep-shearer, from Old High German skeran "to cut".

Schindler German
Occupational name for a roof tiler, from Middle High German schindel "shingle". A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during World War II.

Schirmer German
Means "fencer, fencing master", from Old High German skirmen meaning "to defend".

Schlender German
From Middle High German slinderen "to dawdle" or Middle Low German slinden "to swallow, to eat".

Schlimme German
From German schlimm "bad, crooked, awry".

Schlösser German
Variant of Schlosser.

Schlosser German
Occupational name for a locksmith, derived from Old High German sloz meaning "lock".

Schmeling German
From Middle Low German smal meaning "small, slender".

Schmid German
Variant of Schmidt.

Schmidt German
Occupational name derived from Middle High German smit "smith, metalworker", a cognate of Smith.

Schmitt German
Variant of Schmidt.

Schmitz German
Variant of Schmidt, originating in the Rhine area in western Germany.

Schneider German, Jewish
From German schneider or Yiddish shnayder, making it a cognate of Snyder.

Schnell German
German cognate of Snell.

Schnoor German
Variant of Schnur.

Schnur German, Jewish
From Old High German snuor meaning "rope, cord", an occupational name for a maker of rope.

Scholz German
Variant of Schulz.

Schöttmer German
Originally indicated a person from Schötmar, Germany (now part of the city of Bad Salzuflen in North Rhine-Westphalia).

Schreck German
From Middle High German schrecken meaning "to frighten, to scare".

Schreiber German
German cognate of Scriven.

Schreier German, Jewish
Occupational name for a town crier, from Old High German scrian meaning "to shout, to yell".

Schröder 2 German
Variant of Schröter.

Schroeder German
Variant of Schröder 1 and Schröder 2.

Schroeter German
Variant of Schröter.

Schröter German
Means "beer-porter, wine-porter" in German, an occupational name for a carrier of wine or beer barrels.

Schubert German
Variant of Schuchardt. This name was borne by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828).

Schuchard German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Schuchardt German
From Middle High German schuochwürte meaning "shoemaker, cobbler".

Schuchert German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Schuhart German
Variant of Schuchardt.

Schuhmacher German
From the Middle High German occupational name schuochmacher meaning "shoemaker".

Schuler German
Means "scholar, student" in German, ultimately from Latin schola meaning "school".

Schultes German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultheis German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultheiss German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultheiß German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultz German
Variant of Schulz.

Schultze German
Variant of Schulz.

Schulz German
Occupational name derived from Middle High German schultheiße meaning "mayor, judge".