Old High German Origin Surnames

Einstein Jewish
Ornamental name derived from German ein "one" and stein "stone". A famous bearer was the German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955).

Eldridge English
Derived from the given name Aldric.

Elmersson Swedish
Means "son of Elmar".

Elvis English
Variant of Elwes.

Elwes English
Derived from the given name Eloise.

Emerson English
Means "son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.

Emmet English
Variant of Emmett. This name was borne by the Irish nationalist Robert Emmet (1778-1803).

Emmett English
Derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name Emma.

Emmitt English
Variant of Emmett.

Engel German
Derived from German given names beginning with Engel, such as Engelbert.

Enns German
Derived from a short form of the German given name Anselm.

Enríquez Spanish
Means "son of Enrique".

Ernst German, Dutch, Danish
From the given name Ernst.

Esser German
Means "cartwright", related to Old High German ahsa "axle".

Essert German
Variant of Esser.

Evered English
From the given name Everard.

Everett English
From the given name Everard.

Everhart German
Variant of Eberhardt.

Evers Dutch
Means "son of Evert".

Évrard French
From the given name Évrard.

Faerber German
Variant of Färber.

Falk Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German
From Old Norse falki or Old High German falco meaning "falcon".

Falkenrath German
Derived from Middle High German falke "falcon" and rat "counsel, advice".

Falkner English, German
English variant and German cognate of Faulkner.

Faraldo Italian
From a given name, ultimately the Germanic name Faroald.

Färber German
Occupational name meaning "dyer", derived from German Farbe "colour".

Faron French
From the given name Faron.

Feigenbaum German, Jewish
Means "fig tree" in German.

Feld German, Jewish
Means "field" in German. The name was originally given to someone who lived on land cleared of forest.

Feldt German, Danish, Swedish
North German, Danish and Swedish variant of Feld.

Ferber German
Variant of Färber.

Fiddler English
English form of Fiedler.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" in German.

Fisher English, Jewish
Cognate of Fischer.

Fitzgerald Irish
Means "son of Gerald" in Anglo-Norman French. It was brought to Ireland with William the Conqueror. A famous bearer was Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), an American jazz singer.

Fitzwilliam Irish
Means "son of William" in Anglo-Norman French.

Foerstner German
Variant of Förstner.

Forney German
Name for someone who lived near ferns, from Old High German farn "fern".

Forst German
Derived from Old High German forst "forest". Probably unrelated to the Old French word forest, which was derived from Latin, Old High German forst was derived from foraha meaning "fir tree".

Förstner German
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest (see Forst).

Frankenstein German, Literature
From any of the various minor places by this name in Germany, meaning "stone of the Franks" in German. It was used by the author Mary Shelley in her novel Frankenstein (1818) for the character of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a monster and brings it to life. The monster, nameless in the novel, is sometimes informally or erroneously called Frankenstein in modern speech.

Frederiksen Danish
Means "son of Frederik".

Fredriksen Norwegian
Means "son of Fredrik".

Fredriksson Swedish
Means "son of Fredrik".

Frei German
Means "free" in German, probably referring to someone outside the feudal system.

Freud German, Jewish
Means "joy" in German, a nickname for a cheerful person. A famous bearer was the psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

Freudenberger German, Jewish
Ornamental name from old German freud meaning "joy" and berg meaning "mountain".

Fried German
Derived from the given name Friedrich.

Friedrich German
Derived from the given name Friedrich.

Frost English, German
From Old English and Old High German meaning "frost", a nickname for a person who had a cold personality or a white beard.

Fuchs German
From Old High German fuhs meaning "fox". It was originally a nickname for a person with red hair.

Fuhrmann German
Derived from Middle High German vuorman meaning "cartwright".

Fux German
Variant of Fuchs.

Gaertner German
German form of Gardener.

Garb German
Variant of Garber.

Garber German
Variant of Gerber.

Garbutt English
From the given name Gerbold.

Garey English
Variant of Geary.

Garnet English
Variant of Garnett 1 or Garnett 2.

Garnett 2 English
From a diminutive of the given name Guarin.

Garnier 1 French
From the given name Garnier.

Garrard English
From the given name Gerard.

Garret English
Variant of Garrett.

Garrett English
Derived from the given name Gerald or Gerard.

Garrod English
Derived from the given name Gerald.

Garry English
Variant of Geary.

Gärtner German
German form of Gardener.

Garver German
Variant of Gerber.

Gary English
Variant of Geary.

Gauthier French
Derived from the given name Gauthier.

Gautier French
From the given name Gautier.

Geary English
Derived from a Norman given name that was a short form of Germanic names starting with the element ger "spear".

Geelen Dutch
Derived from the given name Geel, itself from Gillis or Gilbert.

Geels Dutch
Variant of Geelen.

Geerts Dutch
Means "son of Geert".

Gehrig German
Variant of Gehring.

Gehring German
Derived from a short form of Old German names starting with the element ger "spear".

Geisler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geißler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geissler 1 German
Derived from the given name Giselher.

Geissler 2 German
Occupational name for a goat herder, from southern German Geiss meaning "goat" and the suffix ler signifying an occupation.

Geiszler German (Anglicized)
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Gérard French
From the given name Gérard.

Gerber German
Means "tanner, leather dresser" in German, derived from Old High German garawen meaning "to prepare".

Gerhard German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Gerhardsson Swedish
Means "son of Gerhard".

Gerhardt German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Gerig German
Variant of Gehring.

Géroux French
Derived from the Germanic name Gerulf.

Gerst German
Occupational name for a barley farmer, derived from Old High German gersta "barley".

Gerstle German
Variant of Gerst.

Gerver German
Variant of Gerber.

Gibb English
Derived from the given name Gib.

Gibbs English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Gibson English, Scottish
Means "son of Gib".

Giese German, Danish
Derived from a short form of the given name Giselbert or other Old German names beginning with the element gisal meaning "pledge, hostage".

Giffard French, English
Possibly from Old French gifart meaning "chubby" or possibly from the Germanic name Gebhard. Walter Giffard was one of the Norman companions of William the Conqueror.

Gilbert English, French
Derived from the given name Gilbert.

Gilliam English
Variant of William. A famous bearer of the name is cartoonist and filmmaker Terry Gilliam (1940-).

Gimondi Italian
Probably derived from the Old German given name Gismund.

Girard French
From the given name Gérard.

Giraud French
From the given name Gérald.

Giroux French
Derived from the Germanic name Gerulf.

Gismondi Italian
From the Old German given name Gismund.

Glas German, Dutch
German and Dutch cognate of Glass.

Glass English, German
From Old English glæs or Old High German glas meaning "glass". This was an occupational name for a glass blower or glazier.

Göbel German
Derived from the given name Göbel, a diminutive of the Old German name Godabert.

Godard French
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.

Goddard English
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.

Godfrey English
From the Norman given name Godfrey.

Goebel German
Variant of Göbel.

Gold English, German, Jewish
From Old English and Old High German gold meaning "gold", an occupational name for someone who worked with gold or a nickname for someone with yellow hair. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Goldhirsch Jewish
Means "golden stag" in Yiddish.

Goldschmidt German
Occupational name meaning "goldsmith" in German.

Gonçalves Portuguese
Means "son of Gonçalo" in Portuguese.

Gonzales Spanish
Variant of González.

González Spanish
Means "son of Gonzalo" in Spanish. This is among the most common surnames in Spain.

Gonzalez Spanish
Unaccented variant of González.

Gonzalo Spanish
From the given name Gonzalo.

Goossens Flemish
From the Germanic given name Gozzo.

Gorbold English
From the given name Gerbold.

Gorman 1 German
From the Old German given name Germund.

Gosse French
Derived from the Norman given name Gosse.

Gosselin French
Derived from a diminutive of the French given name Gosse.

Gott German
Derived from the Old German given name Goda 1.

Gotti German
Variant of Gott.

Gottlieb German
Derived from the given name Gottlieb.

Gottschalk German
Derived from the given name Gottschalk.

Graf German
From the German noble title Graf meaning "count", ultimately from Greek γραφεύς (grapheus) meaning "scribe".

Granville English
Derived from a Norman place name Grainville.

Graves English
Occupational name for a steward, derived from Middle English greyve, related to the German title Graf.

Grayson English
Means "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward".

Greenberg German (Anglicized), Jewish
Anglicized form of Grünberg.

Grenville English
Variant of Granville.

Grieve Scottish
Occupational name meaning "steward, farm manager" in Middle English, related to the German title Graf.

Grimaldi Italian
From the given name Grimaldo. It is the surname of the royal family of Monaco, which came from Genoa.

Groos German
Variant of Groß.

Gross German
Variant of Groß.

Groß German
From Old High German groz meaning "tall, big".

Große German
Variant of Groß.

Grosse German
Variant of Groß.

Größel German
Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany.

Großel German
Variant of Groß, used in southern Germany.

Großer German
Variant of Groß.

Grosser German
Variant of Groß.

Grósz Hungarian
Hungarian form of Groß.

Grünberg German, Jewish
From German grün meaning "green" and Berg meaning "mountain". This name indicated a person who lived on or near a forest-covered mountain.

Grünewald German
Means "green forest" from German grün "green" and Wald "forest".

Guarneri Italian
From the given name Guanero, an Italian cognate of Werner.

Guérin French
From the Old German given name Warin.

Guidi Italian
From the given name Guido.

Guillaume French
From the given name Guillaume.

Guillory French
Derived from the Old German given name Williric.

Guillot French
From a diminutive of the given name Guillaume.

Günther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gunther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gutenberg German, Jewish
Variant of Guttenberg. A notable bearer was the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), whose family hailed from an estate by this name.

Gutermuth German
Derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and muot meaning "mind, spirit". It was a nickname for an optimistic person.

Gutiérrez Spanish
Means "son of Gutierre".

Gutierrez Spanish
Variant of Gutiérrez.

Guttenberg German, Jewish
From the name of various places, derived from Middle High German guot meaning "good" and berg meaning "mountain". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Haas Dutch, German
Variant of Hase.

Haase German
Variant of Hase.

Haber German, Jewish
Occupational name for one who grew or sold oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat". As a Jewish surname it is ornamental.

Haberkorn German
Occupational name for a dealer in oats, derived from Old High German habaro "oat" and korn "kernel, grain".

Habich German
German cognate of Hawk.

Habicht German
German cognate of Hawk.

Hafner German
Occupational name for a potter, derived from Old High German hafan "pot, vessel".

Haines English
Variant of Haynes.

Hall English, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means simply "hall", given to one who either lived in or worked in a hall (the house of a medieval noble).

Halle German
German variant of Hall.

Hammond English
From the Norman given name Hamo or the Old Norse given name Hámundr.

Hampson English
Means "son of Hamo".

Harman English
From the given name Herman.

Harmon English
From the given name Herman.

Harris English
Means "son of Harry".

Harrison English
Means "son of Harry".

Hartman Dutch, German
Dutch and Americanized form of Hartmann.

Hartmann German
From the German given name Hartmann.

Hase German
From Middle High German and Middle Low German hase meaning "hare, rabbit". This was a nickname for a person who was quick or timid.

Hauer German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haumann German
Derived from Middle High German houwen "to chop" and man "man", referring to a butcher or woodchopper.

Haupt German
German cognate of Head.

Häusler German
Name for someone who lived in a house with no land, derived rom Old High German word hus meaning "house".

Havener German
Variant of Hafner.

Haynes English
Patronymic derived from the Norman name Hagano.

Hébert French
Derived from the given name Herbert.

Heeren Dutch
From Dutch heer "lord, master", a nickname for a person who acted like a lord or who worked for a lord.

Heidrich German
From the Old German given name Heidrich.

Heijman Dutch
Patronymic from a diminutive of the given name Hendrik.

Heijmans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Heikki Finnish
From the given name Heikki.

Heikkilä Finnish
From the given name Heikki with the suffix -lä indicating a place.

Heikkinen Finnish
From the given name Heikki.

Heimans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Heinonen Finnish
From the given name Heino.

Heinrich German
Derived from the given name Heinrich.

Heinrichs German
Derived from the given name Heinrich.

Heintze German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.

Heinz German
Derived from a diminutive of Heinrich.

Henderson Scottish, English
Means "son of Hendry".

Hendrickx Flemish
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendriks Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendrikx Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik.

Hendrix Dutch
Derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).

Hendry Scottish, English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Hennig German
From a diminutive of the given name Heinrich.

Henningsen Danish
Means "son of Henning".

Henriksen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Henrik".

Henriksson Swedish
Means "son of Henrik".

Henriques Portuguese
Means "son of Henrique".

Henry English
Derived from the given name Henry.

Henryson English
Means "son of Henry". A bearer of this surname was the poet Robert Henryson (1425-1500).

Henson English
Means "son of Henne", a medieval diminutive of Henry.

Herbert English, German, French
Derived from the male given name Herbert.

Herberts English, Dutch
Variant of Herbert.

Herbertson English
Means "son of Herbert".

Herbertsson Swedish
Swedish form of Herbertson.

Herceg Croatian
Croatian form of Herzog.

Herczeg Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.

Herczog Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.

Herman English, Dutch
From the given name Herman.

Hermann German
From the given name Hermann.

Hermans Dutch, Flemish
Means "son of Herman".

Hermansen Danish, Norwegian
Means "son of Herman".

Hermanson English
Means "son of Herman".

Hermansson Swedish
Means "son of Herman".

Herrema Frisian
Frisian variant of Heeren.

Herriot English
From an Old French diminutive of the given name Herry.

Herrmann German
From the given name Hermann.

Hersch German, Jewish
Variant of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Herschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2. A famous bearer was the British-German astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), as well as his sister Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) and son John Herschel (1792-1871), also noted scientists.

Herzog German
From a German title meaning "duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.

Hewitt English
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Hugh.

Heymans Dutch
Variant of Heijman.

Hibbert English
Derived from the given name Hilbert.

Hicks English
Derived from the medieval given name Hicke, a diminutive of Richard.

Hildebrand German
From the given name Hildebrand.

Hilmarsson Icelandic
Means "son of Hilmar".

Hinrichs Low German
Derived from the given name Hinrich.

Hintzen German
Means "son of Hintz", a diminutive of Heinrich.

Hirsch 1 German
Means "deer, hart" in German. This was a nickname for a person who resembled a deer in some way, or who raised or hunted deer.

Hirsch 2 Jewish
Derived from the given name Hirsh.

Hirschel German, Jewish
Diminutive form of Hirsch 1 or Hirsch 2.

Hobbes English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob. A famous bearer of this name was British political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), the author of Leviathan.

Hobbs English
Derived from the medieval given name Hob.

Hobson English
Means "son of Hob".

Hoch German
Means "tall" in German.

Hochberg German, Jewish
From place names meaning "high hill" in German.

Hodges English
Patronymic of Hodge, a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodgson English
Means "son of Hodge", a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hodson English
Means "son of Hodge", a medieval diminutive of Roger.

Hoefler German
Variant of Hofer.

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).

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.

Hopkins English
Patronymic formed from a diminutive of Hob.

Hopson English
Variant of Hobson.

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.

Houben Dutch
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Houston Scottish
From a place name meaning "Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow.

Howard 1 English
Derived from the given name Hughard or Hávarðr.

Hubbard English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

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.

Huddleson English
Means "son of Hudel", a diminutive of Hudde.

Hudson English
Means "son of Hudde".

Huffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Huffmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

Hughes 1 English
Patronymic of the given name Hugh.

Humbert French
From the given name Humbert.

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".

Humphrey English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

Humphreys English
Derived from the given name Humphrey.

Hutchinson English
Means "son of Huchin", a medieval diminutive of Hugh.

Hutmacher German
German cognate of Hoedemaker.

Hutson English
Variant of Hudson.

Ilbert English
Derived from a Norman form of the Old German given name Hildiberht.

Ingram English
Derived from the given name Ingram.

Jaeger German
Variant of Jäger.

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

Jager German
Variant of Jäger.

Jarrett English
Variant of Garrett.

Jarvis English
Derived from the given name Gervais.

Jeffers English
Patronymic from the given name Jeffrey. A famous bearer was poet Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962).

Jefferson English
Means "son of Jeffrey". A famous bearer was American president Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826). Since his surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, it is now more common among the African-American population.

Jeffery English
Derived from the given name Jeffrey.

Jeffries English
Patronymic from the given name Jeffrey.