German Surnames

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

Abeln German
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of Albert.

Abraham Jewish, English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch
Derived from the given name Abraham.

Abt German
German cognate of Abate.

Achilles German
Derived from the given name Achilles.

Achterberg Dutch, German
From the name of various places in the Netherlands and Germany, for example the village of achterberg in Utrecht. The place names are derived from Low German achter "behind" and berg "mountain, hill".

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

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

Adam um English, French, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Adenauer German
Denoted a person from the town of Adenau in Germany. The name of the town is of uncertain etymology.

Adler German, Jewish
Means "eagle" in German.

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

Albrecht German
From the given name Albrecht.

Aleshire German
Anglicized form of Alscher.

Alscher German
Means "son of Adalheidis".

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

Amsel 2 German
Means "blackbird" in German.

Andreas German
Derived from the given name Andreas.

Andres German
Derived from the given name Andreas.

Arbeit German
From German arbeit meaning "work".

Armbrüster German
Variant of Armbruster.

Armbruster German
Means "crossbow maker" from German armbrust "crossbow". The word armbrust was originally from Latin arcuballista meaning "bow ballista", but was modified under the influence of German arm "arm" and brust "breast".

Arnold English, German
Derived from the given name Arnold.

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

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

Augustin French, German
From the given name Augustin.

Aust German
Derived from Aust, an archaic diminutive of August.

Bach 1 German
Topographic name for someone who lived by a stream, from Middle High German bach meaning "stream". This name was borne by members of the Bach musical family, notably the composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Bachman German
Anglicized form of Bachmann.

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

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

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

Bader German
Derived from Old High German bad "bath", most likely referring to a bath attendant.

Bähr German
From Middle High German bër "bear" or ber "boar". This was originally a nickname for a strong or brave person.

Baier German
Variant of Bayer.

Bambach German
Variant of Baumbach.

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

Bauers German
Variant of Bauer.

Baum German, Jewish
Means "tree" in German. A famous bearer was the American author L. Frank Baum (1856-1919).

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

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

Baumer German
Variant of Baum.

Baumgarten German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Baumgärtner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

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

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

Bayer German
Originally denoted a person from Bavaria, from its German name Bayern.

Baylor German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Beiler.

Beck 1 English, German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
From Middle English bekke (from Old Norse), Low German beke or Old Norse bekkr all meaning "stream".

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

Becke German
Variant of Beck 1 or Beck 2.

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

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

Beckert German
Variant of Becker.

Behrend German
Derived from the given name Bernd.

Behrends German
Derived from the given name Bernd.

Behringer German
From the given name Berengar.

Beiler German
Derived from Middle High German beile meaning "measuring stick".

Beitel German
Variant of Beutel.

Beltz German
Occupational name for a tanner of hides, derived from Middle High German belz meaning "fur".

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

Berge Norwegian, German, Swedish
Variant of Berg.

Berger 2 German, Dutch
Variant of Berg.

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

Beringer German, English
From the given name Berengar.

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

Bernhard German
From the given name Bernhard.

Best 2 German
Derived from the name of the river Beste, meaning unknown.

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

Beyer German
Variant of Bayer.

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

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

Biermann German
Derived from German bier "beer" and mann "man". The name may have referred to a brewer or a tavern owner.

Bischoffs German
German cognate of Bishop.

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

Blecher German
Occupational name for someone who worked with tin or sheet metal, from German blech "tin".

Bleier German
Occupational name for a worker of lead, derived from German blei "lead".

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

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

Böcker German
Variant of Böttcher.

Boehler German
Variant of Böhler.

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

Böhler German
Derived from the name of several German towns called Boll or Böhl, meaning "hill".

Böhm German
Originally indicated a person from the region of Bohemia (Böhmen in German).

Böhme German
Variant of Böhm.

Böhmer German, Jewish
Variant of Böhm.

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

Borchard German
Derived from the given name Burkhard.

Borchardt German
Derived from the given name Burkhard.

Bösch 1 German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Sebastian.

Böttcher German
Occupational name meaning "cooper, barrel maker" in German.

Braband German
Derived from the name of the region of Brabant in the Netherlands and Belgium. It possibly means "ploughed region" or "marshy region" in Old High German.

Brahms German
Derived from the given name Abraham. A famous bearer of this surname was the German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).

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

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

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

Brandt German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch
Variant of Brand 1 or Brand 2.

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

Brantley German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Brändle.

Braun German
Means "brown" in German.

Braune German
Variant of Braun.

Breiner German, Swedish
Occupational name derived from Middle High German brie "porridge".

Breisacher German
Originally denoted one who came from the town of Breisach, in Germany. The town's name is possibly from a Celtic word meaning "breakwater".

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

Bretz German
Indicated a person from the town of Breetz in Brandenburg, Germany. The meaning of the town's name is unknown.

Brinkerhoff German
From a German place name meaning "farm near a slope".

Brodbeck German
Means "bread baker" from Middle High German brot "bread" and becke "baker".

Brose German
Derived from the given name Ambrose.

Brotz German
Variant of Protz.

Bruhn German
Variant of Braun.

Brune German
Variant of Braun.

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

Buckholtz German (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Buchholz.

Bumgarner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

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

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

Carl English, German
From the given name Carl.

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

Cline German, Jewish
Anglicized spelling of Klein.

Daniel um English, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Daube German
Variant of Taube.

David um English, French, German, Welsh, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, Jewish
From the given name David.

Denzel German
Variant of Tanzer.

Derichs German
Means "son of Dirk".

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

Dieter German
Derived from the given name Dieter.

Dietrich German
Derived from the given name Dietrich.

Dirks Dutch, German
Means "son of Dirk".

Dirksen Dutch, German
Means "son of Dirk".

Dittmar German
Derived from the given name Dietmar.

Dohman German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Thomas.

Drechsler German
Variant of Dressler.

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

Dreier German
Variant of Dreher.

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

Dresdner German
Originally indicated a person who came from the city of Dresden in German.

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

Dreyer German
Variant of Dreher.

Duerr German
Variant of Dürr.

Dunkel German
Means "dark" in German.

Dunst German
Derived from Middle High German dunst "haze".

Dürr German
Means "thin" in German.

Eberhardt German
Derived from the given name Eberhard.

Ebner 1 German
Originally indicated a dweller on a flat piece of land, derived from Middle High German ebene "plateau".

Ebner 2 German
Means "judge, arbiter" from Middle High German ebenære.

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

Egger German
South German occupational name meaning "plowman" or "farmer", derived from German eggen "to harrow, to plow".

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

Eilerts German
Derived from the given name Eilert.

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.

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.

Everhart German
Variant of Eberhardt.

Fabel German
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Fabian.

Fabian German, English, Polish
Derived from the given name Fabian.

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.

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

Fashingbauer German
From Fasching, a German carnival (Fastnacht meaning "eve of the beginning of the fast", or the time before Lent) celebrated in Austria and Bavaria, and bauer meaning "farmer".

Faust German
Derived from the given name Faust, a form of Faustus.

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.

Fenstermacher German
Means "window maker" in German.

Ferber German
Variant of Färber.

Fertig German
Means "ready, prepared" in German.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" in German.

Flater German
Means "reed bed" in German.

Fleischer German
Occupational name meaning "butcher" in German.

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).

Frank 3 German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian
Name for a person from Franconia in Germany, so called because it was settled by the Frankish people. A notable bearer was the German-Jewish diarist Anne Frank (1929-1945), a victim of the Holocaust.

Franke German, Dutch
Variant of Frank 3.

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.

Franz German
Derived from the given name Franz.

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".

Freund German
From Middle High German vriunt, modern German Freund meaning "friend".

Fried German
Derived from the given name Friedrich.

Friedrich German
Derived from the given name Friedrich.

Fries German
Denoted someone from Frisia, an area along the coastal region of the North Sea stretching from Netherlands to Germany.

Fromm German
From a nickname derived from Middle High German vrume meaning "noble, honourable".

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".

Fürst German
From a nickname meaning "(sovereign) prince" in German. The word fürst itself is derived from Old High German furisto "first".

Fux German
Variant of Fuchs.

Gabler German
Occupational name for someone who made or sold forks, from Old High German gabala "fork".

Gaertner German
German form of Gardener.

Garb German
Variant of Garber.

Garber German
Variant of Gerber.

Gärtner German
German form of Gardener.

Garver German
Variant of Gerber.

Gass German
Name for someone who lived on a street in a city, from German gasse.

Gehrig German
Variant of Gehring.

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

Geier German
Means "vulture" in German, a nickname for a greedy person.

Geiger German
Means "fiddle player" in German, derived from Old High German giga "fiddle".

Geisler German
Variant of Geissler.

Geißler German
Variant of Geissler.

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

Geiszler German
Variant of Geissler.

Gensch German
From the given name Gensch, a Sorbian form of John.

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.

Gerhardt German
Derived from the given name Gerhard.

Gerig German
Variant of Gehring.

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.

Giehl German
German form of Giles.

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".

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.

Glöckner German
Derived from Middle High German glocke "bell". It may have referred to a person who worked at or lived close to a bell tower.

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

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.

Goldschmidt German
Occupational name meaning "goldsmith" in German.

Gorman 1 German
From the Old German given name Germund.

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".

Graner German
Originally denoted a person from Gran, the German name for Esztergom, a city in northern Hungary.

Greenberg German, Jewish
Anglicized form of Grünberg.

Grimm German
From a nickname for a stern person, derived from Old High German grim "stern, severe, angry". Famous bearers include Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), known for compiling German folktales.

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.

Gruber Upper German
From German Grube meaning "pit", indicating a person who lived or worked in a pit or depression. This is the most common surname in Austria.

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".

Gump German (Rare), Popular Culture
Possibly from a nickname derived from Middle High German gumpen meaning "to hop, to jump". This surname was used by author Winston Groom for the hero of his novel Forrest Gump (1986), better known from the 1994 movie adaptation.

Günther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

Gunther German
Derived from the given name Günther.

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

Gwerder German (Swiss)
From Swiss German gwerig meaning "agile, alert".

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".

Hahn German
From a nickname for a proud or pugnacious person, from Old High German hano meaning "rooster, cock".

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.

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.

Hasenkamp German
From a northern German place name meaning "rabbit field", from Old Saxon haso "hare" and kamp "field" (from Latin campus).

Hass German
From the given name Hasso.

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.

Heidrich German
From the Old German given name Heidrich.

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.

Hennig German
From a diminutive of the given name Heinrich.

Heppenheimer German
From the name of the city of Heppenheim in Hesse, Germany.

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

Hermann German
From the given name Hermann.

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.

Hertz German
Derived from Middle High German herze meaning "heart", a nickname for a big-hearted person.

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.

Hiedler German
From southern German Hiedl meaning "underground stream".

Hildebrand German
From the given name Hildebrand.

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.

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

Hitler German
Variant of Hiedler. This was spelling used by Alois Hitler, the father of German dictator Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), when he adopted his stepfather Johann Georg Hiedler's surname.

Hoch German
Means "tall" in German.

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

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.