German (Silesian) Submitted Surnames

These names are a subset of German names used by speakers of Silesian German in the region of Silesia, eastern Germany. It is distinct from the Slavic Silesian language or dialect spoken in Poland and the Czech Republic.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Aders German (Silesian)
Variation of Eders, a topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of bare, uncultivated land, from Middle High German (o)ed(e) 'wasteland'. It may also be a habitational name from any of the numerous places named with this element.
Brueckner German, German (Silesian)
German (Brückner): from Middle Low German brugge, Middle High German brugge, brücke, brügge ‘bridge’ + the agent suffix -ner, hence a topographic name for someone living by a bridge, an occupational name for a bridge toll collector, or in the southeast (Silesia for example) a bridge keeper or repairer... [more]
Exner German (Silesian)
Variant of Oxner (see Ochsner).
Geiselhart German (Silesian, Rare), Lombardic (Rare), Old High German (Rare)
Possibly after the Geisel, a river in Saxony-Anhalt, which likely received its name from either the Lombardic patronym Giso, meaning "noble, precious promise" or from the Old High German gewi, from the Gothic gavi, or gaujis, a which is a medieval term for a "region within a country", often a former or actual province combined with the suffix Hart, which means "stag", and comes from the Middle English hert and the Old English heort.... [more]
Geiselman German (Silesian)
From the given name Geisler.
Geister German (Silesian)
Occupational name for a goatherd, from an agent derivative of Geist
Jaschke German (Silesian)
Possibly derivative from the given name Johannes
Kirschner German (Silesian)
From the German word "kirchenære." The other occupation is that of a furrier and, in this case, the name is derived from the word "kuerschner."
Knauer German (Silesian)
Nickname for a gnarled person, from Middle High German knur(e) 'knot', 'gnarl'. habitational name for someone from either of two places in Thuringia called Knau.
Köppel German (Silesian)
Derived from Silesian German Köppel "head" (ulitmately derived from Low German Kopp), this name was a nickname for someone with a visible deformity or peculiarity of the head.
Krusch German (Silesian)
Derived from dialectal Polish krusza (gruszka in Standard Polish), Lower Sorbian ksusa and Upper Sorbian kruswa "pear, pear tree".
Maletz German (Silesian)
German-Silesian variant of Slavic surname Malec.
Nerger German (Silesian)
My family name, Nerger, is listed in the "Deutsches Namenlexicon" by Hans Bahlow. The meaning, given in the lexicon, is "ernahrer" or provider.
Nietzsche German, German (Silesian)
Derived from a Silesian diminutive of the given name Nikolaus. A notable bearer was Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), a German philosopher.
Nitsche German (Silesian)
Derived from a popular Silesian short form of the personal name Nikolaus.
Thorn Low German, German, German (Silesian), Polish, Luxembourgish
In North German, Danish, and Luxembourgish, it is a habitational name for someone who lived near a tower, from Middle Low German torn "tower".... [more]