Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the usage is German; and the origin is Old High German.

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

Abeln German
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of Albert.

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".

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".

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".

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.

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.

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".

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.

Beitel German
Variant of Beutel.

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 u & m French, English, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovene
From the given name Bernard.

Bernhard German
From the given name Bernhard.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Cline German, Jewish
Anglicized spelling of Klein.

Daube German
Variant of Taube.

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.

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.

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.

Dürr German
Means "thin" in German.

Eberhardt German
Derived from the given name Eberhard.

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

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.

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".

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.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" 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).

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.

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.

Gärtner German
German form of Gardener.

Garver German
Variant of Gerber.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

Greenberg German, Jewish
Anglicized form of Grünberg.

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.

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".

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jaeger German
Variant of Jäger.

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

Jager German
Variant of Jäger.

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

Junge German
Variant of Jung 1.

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.

Karl German
From the given name Karl.

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

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.

Kempf German
German cognate of Kemp.

Kerper German
Variant of Gerber.

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

Kirch German
German cognate of Church.

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

Kistner German
Variant of Kistler.

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-).

Knepp German
Variant of Knopf.

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".

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Kundert German
Derived from the given name Konrad.

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.

Kurzmann German
Means "short man" in German.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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