Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the usage is German; and the source is Occupation.

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Abt German
German cognate of Abate.

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".

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.

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

Bauers German
Variant of Bauer.

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

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".

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

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.

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".

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

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.

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".

Böcker German
Variant of Böttcher.

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

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

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

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

Bumgarner German
Variant of Baumgartner.

Denzel German
Variant of Tanzer.

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.

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

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

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

Essert German
Variant of Esser.

Faerber German
Variant of Färber.

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

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".

Fenstermacher German
Means "window maker" in German.

Ferber German
Variant of Färber.

Fiedler German
Means "fiddler" in German.

Fischer German
Occupational name meaning "fisherman" in German.

Fleischer German
Occupational name meaning "butcher" in German.

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

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.

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

Geisler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

Geißler German
Variant of Geissler 1 or Geissler 2.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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".

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

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.

Havener German
Variant of Hafner.

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.

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.

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).

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".

Huffman German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Hoffmann.

Huffmann German
Variant of Hoffmann.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Kneib German
Variant of Knef.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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

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

Kunkle German
Variant of Kunkel.

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

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.

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.

Mayer 1 German
Variant of Meyer 1.

Meier 1 German
Variant of Meyer 1.

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".

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.

Mueller German
Variant of Müller.

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

Muller German
Variant of Müller.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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".

Schlösser German
Variant of Schlosser.

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

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.

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.

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".

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".

Schüttmann German
Means "watchman, guard" from Middle High German schützen "to protect".

Schwinghammer German
Occupational name for a blacksmith, literally meaning "swing hammer" in German.

Senft 1 German
Occupational name for a mustard seller, from German Senf "mustard".

Shriver German
German cognate of Scriven.

Siegel 1 German
Occupational name for a maker of seals or signet rings, ultimately from Latin sigillum "seal".

Slusser German
Variant of Schlosser.

Sommer 2 German
From Middle High German sumber or sommer meaning "basket, wickerwork, drum".

Southers German (Anglicized)
Possibly an Americanized form of Sauter.

Spannagel German
Occupational name for a nailsmith, from Middle High German span nagel "connecting bolt".

Spellmeyer German
Possibly from German spielen meaning "to play, to jest" combined with meyer meaning "village headman". Perhaps it referred to someone who was played or acted as the village headman.

Spitznagel German
Means "sharp nail" in German, an occupational name for a nailsmith.

Spitznogle German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Spitznagel.

Sponaugle German (Anglicized)
Americanized form of Spannagel.

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.

Stenger German
Occupational name for a post maker, from Old High German stanga "pole".

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".

Tanzer German
Means "dancer" in German, derived from Middle High German tanzen "to dance".

Trump German
Derived from Middle High German trumbe meaning "drum". This surname is borne by the American president Donald Trump (1946-).

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.

Vogt German
Occupational name from Middle High German voget meaning "bailiff, administrator, steward", ultimately from Latin advocatus.

Vogts German
Patronymic variant of Vogt.

Voigt German
Variant of Vogt.

Voigts German
Patronymic variant of Vogt.

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.

Weber German
German cognate of Weaver 1.

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

Weeber German
German cognate of Weaver 1.

Wehner German
Variant of Wagner.

Wehnert German
Variant of Wagner.

Weimann German
From German Wein meaning "wine", an occupational name for a wine seller or producer.

Weiner German
Variant of Wagner.

Wirt German
Variant of Wirth.

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

Ziegler German
Means "bricklayer" or "brickmaker" in German, from Middle High German ziegel "brick, tile".

Zimmerman German
Variant of Zimmermann.

Zimmermann German, Jewish
From the German word for "carpenter", derived from Middle High German zimber "timber, wood" and mann "man".

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