This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is German; and the gender is unisex; and the name appears on the United States popularity list.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
DesslerGerman, Yiddish Meaning Unknown. Known primarily in pop culture as the surname of a certain Michelle in the Fox tv hit 24 and of a certain villain called Albert in Space Battleship Yamato.
DiehlGerman From the given name Diel, Tiel, from Thilo, a diminutive of given names beginning with Diet-, as such as Dietrich.
DielmannGerman (Modern) It was once spelled as "Dielhmann" and sometimes with one "n". The meaning is unknown, but when I used Google's translator "dielh" means "the" and "mann" was "man".
DiemGerman German: from a reduced form of the personal name Dietmar ( see Dittmar ).
DieringerGerman (Americanized) Americanized form of German Thüringer, regional name for someone from Thuringia, This was also used as a medieval personal name. Americanized form of German Tieringer, habitational name for someone from Tieringen in Württemberg.
DillingerGerman Denoted a person from Dillingen, a district in the region of Swabia in Bavaria, Germany. This name was borne by the infamous John Dillinger (1903-1934), an American gangster and bank robber during the Great Depression.
DischingerGerman Habitational name for someone from Dischingen near Neresheim or Oberdischingen near Ehingen in Württemberg.
DishmanGerman (Americanized) Americanized form of North German Dischmann or Tischmann: occupational name for a joiner from Middle Low German disch 'table' + man 'man'.
DistelGerman, Low German, Dutch Means "thistle" in German and Dutch, a topographic name for someone who lived by a patch of ground overgrown with thistles, or perhaps a nickname for a "prickly" person.
DistlerGerman Topographic name for someone who lived in a place where thistles grew, from German Distel "thistle" (see Distel) and -er, suffix denoting an inhabitant.
DobbersteinGerman Metonymic occupational name for a dice maker or a nickname for a dice player, from Middle High German topel ‘die’ + stein ‘stone’, ‘cube’.
DockGerman An occupational name for someone who worked with textiles, related to the German word Tuch "cloth, piece of fabric".
DornGerman, Jewish, Flemish Means "thorn" in German. Given as a habitational name to someone who lived near thorn bushes, or as an ornamental name.
DornfeldGerman topographic name for someone who lived by a field where thorn bushes grew from Middle High German Middle Low German dorn "thorn" and feld "open country".
DorstGerman, Dutch Either a topographic name for someone who lived on dry hard ground from dörr "dry" or a habitational name from any of the places called Dorst near Cologne or Helmstedt or Dorste in the Harz Mountains... [more]
DoschGerman Topographic name for someone living near bushes or brush, from Middle High German doste, toste ‘leafy branch’, or a habitational name from a house with a sign depicting a bush. Also an altered spelling of Dasch.
DosterGerman, Belgian A German surname, which is from an agent derivative of the Middle High German words 'doste' and 'toste' (meaning ‘wild thyme’, ‘shrub’, ‘bouquet’). It is a topographic surname which was given to someone whose land abutted an uncultivated piece of land, or possibly an occupational name for someone who dealt herbs.... [more]
DötterGerman From a Germanic personal name formed with theud ‘people’, ‘race’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘strong’ or hari, heri ‘army’
DoveGerman, Dutch From a nickname for a deaf person, derived from Middle Low German dof or Middle Dutch doof, both meaning "deaf".
DreilingGerman From Middle High German drīling, meaning “third (part),” possibly denoting a service or tax obligation and hence a status name or a triplet.
DreilingGerman Habitational name from Drelingen near Uelzen, Lower Saxony.
DrescherYiddish, German German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name for a thresher, German Drescher, Yiddish dresher, agent derivatives of Middle High German dreschen, Yiddish dresh(e)n 'to thresh'.... [more]
DrexelGerman, Jewish It originates from the pre 7th century word 'dreseler' meaning 'to turn', a verb which in medieval times had a wide range of meanings.
DreyfussGerman, Jewish Means "three feet" in German. This surname originates from the German city of Trier. The Latin name for the city was "Treveris," whose pronunciation eventually developed into Dreyfuss. The spelling variants tend to correspond to the country the family was living in at the time the spelling was standardized: the use of one "s" tends to be more common among people of French origin, while the use of two tends to be found among those of German descent
DrollingerGerman Ethnic or habitational name for someone from Tyrol.
DrostDutch, German, Danish Means "reeve, steward; sheriff, bailiff" in German and Dutch, a title for the administrative head of a court or district.
DruckerGerman, Dutch, Jewish Occupational name for an operator of a printing press, derived from German drucken "to print".
DuerreGerman Topographic name for a person who lived on a dry, barren land, derived from Old German durri and German dürre meaning "barren, infertile". It could also be a variant of Dürr.
DueslerUpper German Andrew & brother Jacob were the Progenitors of Duesler, Duessler, Dueßler from 1752 Germany to America. ... [more]
DürenGerman Habitational name from any of numerous places called Düren in northern Germany, in particular the one near Cologne.
DurrenbergerGerman habitational name for someone from any of numerous places in Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony, and Silesia named Dür(r)nberg or Dürrenberg
EarleyGerman, Irish The surname Earley originally derived from the Old English word Eorlic which referred to one who displayed manly characteristics.... [more]
EberlingGerman (Austrian) The surname Eberling was first found in Austria, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation... [more]
EdenGerman Refers to someone from one of several places of the same name, mainly in Bavaria and Austria, from Middle High German œde "wasteland" and the suffix n, which signifies an action toward the root word... [more]
EhlertGerman From a Germanic personal name composed of the elements agil "edge", "point (of a sword)" + hard "brave", "hardy", "strong" or ward "guard".
EhlingerGerman Habitational name for someone from Ehlingen in the Palatinate.
EichGerman German from Middle High German eich(e) ‘oak’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived near an oak tree. In some cases, it may be a habitational name for someone from any of several places named with this word, for example Eiche or Eichen, or for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of an oak.
EichackerGerman Topographic name meaning "oak field. from Middle High German eiche "oak" and acker "field".
EichelbergGerman Habitational name from any of various places, notably one southeast of Heidelberg, named from Middle High German eichel meaning "acorn" + berc meaning "mountain", "hill", or topographic name for someone who lived on an oak-covered hill.
EichelbergerGerman Habitational name for someone from any of the various places called Eichelberg.
EichenbergGerman Derived from Middle High German eih "oak" and berg "mountain hill" meaning "oak hill, oak mountain"; a topographic name for someone who lived on an oak-covered hillside or a habitational name from any of the places so named... [more]
EichenlaubGerman, Jewish Derived from Eichenlau, a topographic name from Middle High German eichen "oaks" and loh "forest clearing", reinterpreted through folk etymology as Eichenlaub, meaning "oak leaf".
EichhornGerman, Jewish, Belgian German topographic name for someone who lived on or near an oak-covered promontory, from Middle High German eich(e) ‘oak’ + horn ‘horn’, ‘promontory’. German from Middle High German eichhorn ‘squirrel’ (from Old High German eihhurno, a compound of eih ‘oak’ + urno, from the ancient Germanic and Indo-European name of the animal, which was later wrongly associated with hurno ‘horn’); probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal, or alternatively a habitational name for someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a squirrel... [more]
EichhorstGerman Denoted someone from a town called Eichhorn in either Brandenburg or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
EichlerUpper German South German variant of Eich, the -ler suffix denoting association. "eager"
EickhoffGerman From Middle Low German eke "oak" and hof "manor farm."
EiermannGerman Occupational name for an egg collector or dealer in eggs, from Middle High German ei 'egg' + man 'man'.
EigenGerman Either a status name from Middle High German aigen "unfree; serf" denoting (in the Middle Ages) someone with service obligations to a secular or ecclesiastical authority (also in Switzerland); or from eigen "inherited property" denoting a free landowner (without feudal obligations)... [more]
EimerGerman (Sudeten) Of uncertain meaning. A famous bearer of that surname was Norbert Eimer.
EinhornGerman, Jewish Derived from German Einhorn (Middle High German einhorn) "unicorn", denoting someone who lived at a house distinguished by the sign of a unicorn.
EiseleGerman Either from a diminutive of any of the Germanic given names formed with the element isarn meaning "iron" (such as Isanhard) or from Isenlin, a nickname for a blacksmith, ironworker or dealer in iron, composed of Middle High German īsen "iron" and the diminutive suffix -līn.
EisenGerman, Jewish German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for an ironworker or smith, or an ironmonger, from Middle High German isen ‘iron’, German Eisen. It may also have been used as a nickname, with reference to the strength and hardness of iron or to its color, while as a Jewish name it was also adopted as an ornamental name from modern German Eisen ‘iron’ or the Yiddish cognate ayzn.
EisenbergGerman, Jewish Means "iron hill" from German isen meaning "iron" and berg meaning "hill".
EisenbergerGerman, Jewish Habitational name for someone from any of the several places called Eisenberg. As a Jewish name it is also an ornamental name.
EisenhauerGerman Occupational name meaning "iron cutter" where Eisen- means "iron" and -hauer means "hewer". The verb 'hew' being less well used in English than in earlier times, but still understood to mean cut, such as in hewing tree limbs... [more]
EisensteinGerman, Jewish topographic name for someone who lived by a place where iron ore was extracted or perhaps a habitational name from a place called for its iron works. Jewish artificial compound of German isarn "iron" and stein "stone".
EisnerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for an ironworker, smith, or ironmonger, from an agent derivative of Middle High German īsen and German Eisen, meaning ‘iron’ (see Eisen).
ElbeGerman habitational name from any of various places called Elbe, Elben or from the river name.
ElfmanJewish (Ashkenazi), German May be an Americanized form of German Elfmann. This is both a habitational name for someone from a place called Elvede or Elbe and a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name composed of the elements alf ‘ghost’ + man ‘man’... [more]
ElichGerman, American Surname meaning "noble" from edelik or edelich. Notable bearer is professional ice hockey player Matt Elich.
EllenbergGerman, Jewish, German (Swiss) Derived from two municipalities and a village called Ellenberg in Germany. As an ornamental name, it is derived from German ölenberg, literally meaning "olive mountain".
EllenderGerman Respelling of German Elender, a nickname for a stranger or newcomer, from Middle High German ellende ‘strange’, ‘foreign’, or a habitational name for someone from any of twenty places named Elend, denoting a remote settlement, as for example in the Harz Mountains or in Carinthia, Austria.
EllerGerman Habitational name from places in the North Rhine and Mosel areas
ElmendorfGerman Derived from a village with the same name in the district of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
EmelGerman From a short form of any of the various Germanic personal names beginning with the element amal, which means ‘strength’ or ‘vigor’.
EmmerGerman A topographic name for someone who lived by land where grain was grown, a status name for someone who owned such land, or a metonymic occupational name for someone who grew or dealt in grain.
EngländerGerman, Jewish German ethnic name from Engländer "Englishman" and Jewish artificial name distributed at random by Austrian clerks.
EnglanderGerman, Jewish Ethnic name derived from German Engländer, meaning 'Englishman', thus denoting an incomer from England. In some cases, the Jewish name may be an ornamental adoption.
EpshteynGerman, Jewish This surname may be derived from a German town known as Eppstein in Hesse. Epp probably came from Gaulish apa which means water or river and stein translates into English as stone.
EpsteinGerman, Jewish A habitational name for someone from a place named Eppstein, which is from Old High German ebur meaning ‘wild boar’ and stein meaning ‘stone’.
ErberJewish, German Meaning uncertain. Either a habitational name for someone living in a place named Erb or Erp, a name for a owner of a farm named Erbhof (derived from MIddle High German erbære "honorable, noble"), or derived from the given name Erpo.
ErbyGerman From the medieval given name Erbe, meaning "descendant, heir"
ErmanGerman (Modern), French (Modern) Erman is a shortened French adaption of the Swiss-German surname Ermendinger, itself derived from the older surname Ermatinger, a name connected to the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, and came into existence during the early or middle 18th century when Jean-Georges Ermendinger (1710-1767), a Swiss fur trader from Geneva, married into a French speaking Huguenotte family... [more]
ErmatingerGerman (Swiss) The surname Ermatinger derives from the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance. It simply means "from Ermatingen".... [more]
ErnsbergerGerman (Anglicized, Modern) Also spelled (Ehrnsberger) has been said that a Christian Ernsberger or Ehrnsberger came to the U.S. in 1710 from Germany but i dont know from where in Germany.
ErtelGerman South German: from a pet form of a personal name beginning with Ort-, from Old High German ort "point" (of a sword or lance)
ErwinEnglish, German, Irish, Scottish From the given name Erwin. From the Middle English personal name EverwinErwin perhaps from Old English Eoforwine (eofor "boar" and wine "friend") but mostly from an Old French form of the cognate ancient Germanic name Everwin or from a different ancient Germanic name Herewin with loss of initial H- (first element hariheri "army")... [more]
EsauWelsh, German From the Biblical personal name Esau, meaning ‘hairy’ in Hebrew (Genesis 25:25).
EschenbachGerman Eschenbach, from the root words Esch and Bach, is a surname that has origins in Germany and/or Switzerland. Esch is German for ash tree, and bach is German for brook, a small stream. Popular use of the surname includes the poet knight Wolfram von Eschenbach, and the name is used for multiple locations in Germany and Switzerland, or even more locations if you include spelling variations such as Eschbach, as this surname has undergone multiple mutations throughout history... [more]
EscherGerman Derived from German Esche meaning "ash (tree)", a habitational name for someone who lived near an ash tree, or came from a place named after it. This name was borne by the Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher, known for making works inspired by mathematics.
EslerGerman German: byname or occupational name for someone who drove donkeys, from Middle High German esel ‘donkey’ + the agent suffix -er.
EssLow German, German (Swiss) North German: topographic name for someone living on or owning land that was waterlogged or partly surrounded by water, from Middle Low German es ‘swamp’, ‘water’. ... [more]
EssenDutch, German From any of several places called Essen, probably derived from asc "ash tree".
EulerGerman, Jewish Occupational name for a potter, most common in the Rhineland and Hesse, from Middle High German ul(n)ære (an agent derivative of the dialect word ul, aul "pot", from Latin olla).
FaberGerman, Dutch, French, Danish An occupational name for a blacksmith or ironworker, ultimately derived from Latin faber "artisan, creator, craftsman, smith".
FalkenhagenGerman Habitational name from any of several places named from Old High German falke meaning "falcon" + hag meaning "hedge", "fencing". A place so named is documented west of Berlin in the 14th century.
FallEnglish, German English topographic name Middle English falle "fall descent" (from Old English gefeall or gefall "felling of trees" Old Norse fall "forest clearing") denoting a waterfall steep slope or (in northern England) a forest clearing... [more]
FassGerman From Middle High German faz, German Fass 'cask', 'keg', hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of casks and kegs, or a nickname for someone as rotund as a barrel. German: variant of Fasse, Faas.
FassbinderGerman Occupational name for a cooper, derived from German Fass "barrel, keg, cask" and Binder "girder, tie". Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982) was a German filmmaker considered as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement.
FastGerman, Swedish Either a short form of a name starting with the element fast meaning "steadfast, firm", or a nickname for a reliable steadfast person.
FattigGerman (Americanized) Coming from the name “attig” meaning German royalty or nobles. It is also thought to come from Sweden meaning “poor”.
FechterGerman Occupational name for a fencer or a duelist who fought for public entertainment, derived from Old High German fehtan or Middle Low German vechten, both meaning "to fight".
FeckGerman, Frisian From a short form of the Frisian personal name Feddeke, a pet form of Fre(de)rik (see Friederich).
FederGerman, Jewish metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers or in quill pens from Middle High German vedere German feder "feather quill pen"... [more]
FederspielGerman (Swiss) Derived from Middle High German vederspil "bird of prey (trained for hunting)", this was an occupational name for a falconer.
FeigeGerman Either a topographic name for someone who lived by a fig tree or metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of figs from Middle High German vīge (Old High German figa from Latin ficus)... [more]
FeilerGerman Occupational name for a filemaker, from Feil + the agent suffix -er.
FeinmanGerman, Jewish Nickname for a fine person, derived from either Middle High German fīn meaning "fine, elegant, cultivated" or German fein and Yiddish fayn meaning "fine, excellent", combined with man.
FeldhausGerman habitational name from a place called Feldhaus after a "house standing in open country", derived from the elements feld "field" and hus "house"... [more]
FeldsteinGerman, Jewish Ornamental name meaning "field stone" in German. A famous bearer is American actor and filmmaker Jonah Hill (1983-), born Jonah Hill Feldstein. Another famous bearer is Hill's sister, actress Beanie Feldstein (1993-).
FellEnglish, German, Jewish Metonymic occupational name for a furrier, from Middle English fell, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel, all of which mean "skin, hide, pelt". Yiddish fel refers to untanned hide, in contrast to pelts "tanned hide" (see Pilcher).
FellenbaumGerman nickname for a woodman literally "fell the tree" or possibly a topographic name for someone who lived by a fallen tree derived from fellen "fall" and boum "tree".
FellerEnglish, German, Jewish Occupational name for a furrier, from an agent derivative of Middle English fell, Middle Low German, Middle High German vel, or German Fell or Yiddish fel "hide, pelt". See also Fell.
FellerGerman Habitational name for someone from a place called Feld(e) or Feld(a) in Hesse.
FettGerman Nickname for a fat man, from Middle Low German vett meaning "fat".
FeuerGerman Metonymic occupational name for a stoker in a smithy or public baths, or nickname for someone with red hair or a fiery temper, from Middle High German viur "fire".