Old High German Origin Surnames

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

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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".

Schulze German
Variant of Schulz.

Schumacher German
Variant of Schuhmacher.

Schuster German
Means "shoemaker, cobbler", from Middle High German schuoch "shoe" and suter, from Latin sutor "sewer, cobbler".

Schwartz German, Jewish
Variant of Schwarz.

Schwarz German, Jewish
Means "black" in German, from Old High German swarz. It originally described a person with black hair or a dark complexion.

Schwarzenberg German
Means "black mountain" in German.

Schwarzenegger German
From a place name, derived from Old High German swarz meaning "black" and ekka meaning "edge, corner". A famous bearer of this name is actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947-).

Schwenke 2 German
From a given name, a Low German diminutive of Swanhild.

Seeger German
From the given name Sieghard.

Seegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Segers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Seghers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Seidel German
From a diminutive of the given name Siegfried.

Shain Jewish
Means "beautiful, handsome" in Yiddish, from German schön.

Sheinfeld Jewish
Ornamental name derived from German schön "beautiful, good, nice" and feld "field".

Siebert German
Derived from the given name Siegbert.

Siegel 2 German
Derived from the diminutive of Old German given names beginning with the element sigu meaning "victory".

Sieger German
From the given name Sieghard.

Siegert German
Derived from the given name Sieghard.

Siekert German (Rare)
Derived from the given name Sieghard.

Silverstein Jewish
Variant of Zilberstein.

Siskin Jewish
Variant of Ziskind.

Siskind Jewish
Variant of Ziskind.

Sitz 1 German
Derived from a given name beginning with the Old High German element sigu meaning "victory".

Ślusarczyk Polish
Diminutive form of Ślusarski.

Ślusarska f Polish
Feminine form of Ślusarski.

Ślusarski m Polish
Occupational name for a locksmith, from Polish ślusarz, of Germanic origin.

Slusser German
Variant of Schlosser.

Sommer 1 German, English
Means "summer", from Old High German sumar or Old English sumor. This was a nickname for a cheerful person, someone who lived in a sunny spot, or a farmer who had to pay taxes in the summer.

Sorg German
Variant of Sorge.

Sorge German
Means "worry, care, anxiety" in German, from Old High German sorga.

Specht German
Means "woodpecker" in German.

Speight English
English form of Specht, probably a loanword from German or Dutch.

Stark English, German
From a nickname meaning "strong, rigid", from Old English stearc or Old High German stark.

Steen Low German
Low German variant of Stein. A famous bearer was the 17th-century Dutch painter Jan Steen.

Stein German, Jewish
From Old High German stein meaning "stone". It might indicate the original bearer lived near a prominent stone or worked as a stonecutter. As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Steiner German
Variant of Stein.

Steinmann German
Means "stone man" in German, used as a habitational name for a person who lived near a prominent stone or an occupational name for a stone worker.

Stern 2 German, Jewish
German cognate of Starr.

Sternberg Jewish
Ornamental name derived from old German stern "star" and berg "mountain".

Straub German
From Old High German strub meaning "rough, unkempt".

Strobel German
Diminutive form of Straub.

Stroman German
Means "straw man" in German, an occupational name for a seller of straw.

Stuber German
Occupational name for the owner of an inn, derived from Old High German stuba "room".

Stück German, Jewish
From Old High German stucki meaning "piece, part".

Stueck German, Jewish
Variant of Stück.

Sturm German
Means "storm" in German, originally a nickname for a volatile person.

Suess German
Variant of Süß. A famous bearer was the American children's author Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel.

Šulc m Czech
Czech form of Schulz.

Šulcová f Czech
Feminine form of Šulc.

Süss German
Variant of Süß.

Süß German
From Old High German suozi meaning "sweet".

Susskind Jewish
Variant of Ziskind.

Szulc Polish
Polish form of Schulz.

Szwarc Polish
Polish phonetic spelling of German Schwarz.

Tamaro Italian
Possibly from the Old German given name Thietmar. It is typical of the area around Trieste in northern Italy.

Taube German
From a nickname meaning "dove" in German.

Terry English
Derived from the medieval name Thierry, a Norman French form of Theodoric.

Thälmann German
From the given name Thilo. It was borne by the German communist party leader Ernst Thälmann (1886-1944).

Thibault French
Derived from the given name Thibault.

Tiedeman Low German
Variant of Tiedemann.

Tiedemann Low German
Derived from the given name Tiedemann.

Tillens Flemish
From the old Dutch name Tiel, a medieval diminutive of Dietrich.

Uberti Italian
Derived from the given name Uberto.

Ughi Italian
From the given name Ugo.

Valdez Spanish
Means "son of Baldo".

Vergoossen Dutch
Means "son of Goswin".

Vernersen Danish
Means "son of Verner".

Vilhjálmsson Icelandic
Means "son of Vilhjálmur".

Vinogradov m Russian
Means "vineyard" in Russian (ultimately from German), referring to a person who worked at a vineyard or lived near one.

Vinogradova f Russian
Feminine form of Vinogradov.

Voclain French
From the Old French given name Vauquelin.

Vogel German, Dutch
From Old High German and Old Dutch fogal meaning "bird". It was originally an occupational name for a bird catcher, or a nickname for a person who liked to sing.

Volk German
Derived from given names beginning with the Old High German element folk meaning "people".

Voll 2 German
Variant of Volk.

Von Brandt German
Means "from the area cleared by fire", from Middle High German brant.

Von Essen German
Means "from Essen", a city in Germany, possibly a derivative of Old High German asc meaning "ash tree".

Voss German
From Middle Low German vos meaning "fox". It was originally a nickname for a clever person or a person with red hair.

Voß German
Variant of Voss.

Wägner German
Variant of Wagner.

Wagner German
From Middle High German wagener meaning "wagon maker, cartwright". This name was borne by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883).

Wähner German
Variant of Wagner.

Wahner German
Variant of Wagner.

Waldfogel Jewish
Variant of Waldvogel.

Waldvogel German, Jewish
From a nickname for a carefree person, derived from German Wald meaning "forest" and Vogel meaning "bird". As a Jewish name it is ornamental.

Walkenhorst German
Possibly derived from a German place name Falkenhorst, from Falken meaning "falcons" and Horst meaning "thicket".

Wallach Yiddish
From Middle High German walch meaning "foreigner (from a Romance country)".

Walter English, German
Derived from the given name Walter.

Walters English
Derived from the given name Walter.

Walterson English
Means "son of Walter".

Waltersson Swedish
Variant of Walterson.

Walther German
From the given name Walther.

Waltz German
From a diminutive of the given name Walther.

Wang 2 German, Dutch
From Middle High German and Middle Dutch wange meaning "cheek", possibly a nickname for someone with round or rosy cheeks.

Wang 3 German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
From Old High German wang or Old Norse vangr meaning "grassy slope, meadow".

Warner German, English
Variant of Werner.

Wash English
Derived from the Norman name Wazo.

Waterman 1 English
Means "servant of Walter".

Waters 2 English
Derived from the given name Walter.

Watkins English
Derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, which was a diminutive of the name Walter.

Watson English, Scottish
Patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name Walter.

Watt English
Derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name Walter. A noteworthy bearer was the Scottish inventor James Watt (1736-1819).

Watts English
Patronymic derived from the Middle English given name Wat or Watt, a diminutive of the name Walter.

Wauters Dutch
Means "son of Wouter".

Weber German
German cognate of Weaver 1.

Wechsler German, Jewish
Means "money changer, banker", from German wechseln "to exchange".

Wedekind German
From the given name Widukind.

Weeber German
German cognate of Weaver 1.

Wegener Low German
Low German variant of Wagner.

Wegner Low German
Low German variant of Wagner.

Wehner German
Variant of Wagner.

Wehnert German
Variant of Wagner.

Weiner German
Variant of Wagner.

Weiss German, Yiddish
From Middle High German wiz or Yiddish װייַס (vais) meaning "white". This was originally a nickname for a person with white hair or skin.

Weiß German
Variant of Weiss.

Welter German
Derived from the given name Walter.

Wendel German
Derived from the given name Wendel.

Wendell German
Variant of Wendel (typically American).

Werner German
From the given name Werner.

Wernher German
From the given name Werner.

West English, German
Denoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.

Wexler Jewish
Variant of Wechsler.

Wilcox English
From a diminutive of the given name William.

Wild English, German
Means "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", derived from Old English wilde. This was either a nickname for a person who behaved in a wild manner or a topographic name for someone who lived on overgrown land.

Wilder English, German
Variant of Wild.

Wilkerson English
Means "son of Wilkin".

Wilkie English
Double diminutive of the given name William.

Wilkins English
Means "son of Wilkin".

Wilkinson English
Means "son of Wilkin".

Willard English
From the given name Wilheard or Willihard.

Willems Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.

Willemse Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.

Willemsen Dutch
Means "son of Willem".

William English
Derived from the given name William.

Williams English
Means "son of William".

Williamson English
Means "son of William".

Willis English
Derived from the given name William. A famous bearer of this surname is actor Bruce Willis (1955-).

Wilmer German, English
Derived from the given name Willimar or Wilmǣr.

Wilms Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.

Wilson English
Means "son of Will". A famous bearer was the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).

Winograd Jewish
Jewish form of Vinogradov.

Winogrodzka f Polish
Feminine form of Winogrodzki.

Winogrodzki m Polish
Polish cognate of Vinogradov.

Winter English, German, Swedish
From Old English winter or Old High German wintar meaning "winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.

Wirner German
From the given name Werner.

Wirnhier German
From the given name Werner.

Wirt German
Variant of Wirth.

Wirth German, Jewish
Occupational name for an innkeeper, derived from German wirt meaning "host".

Wolf German, English
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.

Wolff German, Danish, Norwegian, Jewish
Variant of Wolf.

Wolter German
From the given name Walter.

Wolters Dutch
Means "son of Wouter".

Wörner German
From the given name Werner.

Wörnhör German
From the given name Werner.

Wouters Dutch
Means "son of Wouter".

Zeegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Zegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".

Zilberstein Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "silver stone", from Yiddish זילבער (zilber) and שטיין (tein), both of Old High German origin.

Ziskind Jewish
Ornamental name, or from a given name, meaning "sweet child", derived from Yiddish זיס (zis) meaning "sweet" and קינד (kind) meaning "child", both words of Old High German origin.