Low German Submitted Surnames
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
BERNERGerman, Low GermanGerman habitational name, in Silesia denoting someone from a place called Berna (of which there are two examples); in southern Germany and Switzerland denoting someone from the Swiss city of Berne. ...
[more] BODENGerman, Low GermanPatronymic from the personal name
BODE or a topographic name for someone living in a valley bottom or the low-lying area of a field. From Middle High German
boden "ground, bottom".
BORNEMANNLow GermanNorth German: topographic name denoting someone who lived by a well or spring, from Middle Low German born ‘spring’, ‘well’ + man ‘man’.
BRASDutch, Low GermanDutch and North German: from Old French and Middle Dutch bras ‘arm’. This was probably a descriptive nickname for someone with some peculiarity of the arm, but the word was also used as a measure of length, and may also have denoted a surveyor.
BRUEGGEMANNLow German, GermanNorth German (Brüggemann): topographic name for someone who lived near a bridge or a metonymic occupational name for a bridge keeper or street paver, Middle Low German brüggeman (see
Bruckman,
Brueckner).
DOHRMANNLow GermanNorth German topographic name for someone who lived by the gates of a town or city (see
Thor).
DONTHLow German (Rare)Donth is a very rare surname that comes from Germany. No real information about this surname.
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] FAHNLow GermanTopographic name for someone who lived by a bog, from a Westphalian field name
van "marsh", or a habitational name from a place named with this word.
FEDIELow GermanOriginally spelled as 'Fidi' in Austria, later changed to Fedie when bearers of the name immigrated to the United States. The meaning of the name is "faith."
FIENEGerman, Low GermanA nickname for an elegant person, from Middle Low German
fin, meaning ‘fine’. Can also be a locational name from several fields and places named Fiene.
GOEDEKELow GermanLow German surname composed of the element
gode and the diminutive suffix
-ke.
Gode can mean either "good", "God" or "a Goth".
GRAPELow GermanMetonymic occupational name for a maker of metal or earthenware vessels, from Middle Low German
grope "pot".
GRAWERTLow German, German (East Prussian)As a Low German name, Grawert is derived from Middle High German
grā and Old High German
grāo "gray" (originally "shimmery, gleaming"). As a surname, it was a nickname given to someone with gray hair....
[more] HARMSEDutch, Low GermanThe surname Harmse is derived from Harms or Harm, a Low-German / Niederdeutsch surname or name. In Plattdeutsch/Low Saxon the word sine is used as a possessive construction, hence Harmse indicates that it is the child of Harms, Harm, or Harmensze...
[more] HOKELow GermanOccupational name from Middle Low German meaning "small trader". Americanized form of
Hauck. It has been used in the House of Nassau-Ter Haar.
KÜHLGerman, Low GermanThe spelling Kühl results from a folk-etymological association with High German
kühl ‘cool’ (Middle High German
küel(e), a nickname from Middle High German
küel ‘cool’, ‘calm’...
[more] NIEMEYERLow GermanNorth German nickname for a newly arrived steward or tenant farmer, from Middle Low German
nie ‘new’ +
Meyer.
PENNINGEnglish, Dutch, Low GermanFrom early Middle English
penning, Low German
penning, and Middle Dutch
penninc, all meaning "penny". It was used as a topographic surname or a nickname referring to tax dues of a penny.
POSTLow German, Danish, DutchTopographic name for someone who lived near a post or pole (Middle Low German, Middle Dutch
post, from Latin
postis), presumably one of some significance, e.g. serving as a landmark or boundary, or a habitational name from any of several places in northern Germany called Post, probably from this word.
POSTHUMUSDutch, Low GermanFrom a personal name which was given to a posthumous child, i.e., one born after the death of his father, derived from Latin
postumus "last, last-born" (superlative of
posterus "coming after, subsequent") via Late Latin
posthumus, which was altered by association with Latin
humare "to bury", suggesting death (i.e., thought to consist of
post "after" and
humus "grave", hence "after death"); the one born after the father's death obviously being the last.
PULVERLow German, French, EnglishI comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
ROEBERLow GermanHabitational name from a place named Roben, for example in Thuringia or Schleswig. From a Germanic personal name based on
hrod ‘renown’, ‘victory’. Low German variant of
Räuber and
Rauber.
ROOSEstonian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, German (Swiss), Low GermanMeans "rose" in Estonian and Dutch. Swedish and Danish variant of
Ros, also meaning "rose". This could be a locational name for someone living near roses, an occupational name for someone who grew roses, or a nickname for someone with reddish skin.
SIEVERTLow German, Dutch, SwedishDerived from the given name
SIVERT. A Sievert (Sv) is a unit measuring the effect of ionizing radiation on the human body (called equivalent absorbed radiation dose). It was named after Swedish medical physicist Rolf Sievert (1896 – 1966).
STERNKELow German (Rare, ?)From the German word or surname Stern meaning "star" and the Low German diminutive "-ke". The exact origins of this surname are unknown.
SUHLow GermanNorth German from Middle Low German
su ‘sow’, either a metonymic occupational name for a swineherd or an offensive nickname.
SYDOWLow GermanHabitational name from any of several places so named in Germany.
WAPELHORSTLow German"Wapel" (pronounced VA-pel) is a river in Northern Germany. "Horst" means 'eagle's nest' in modern German but also means 'man of the forest' in Old German.
WESTERMANNLow GermanFrom Middle Low German
wester meaning "westerly" and
man meaning "man", making it a topographic surname for someone who lived west of a settlement or a regional surname for someone who had moved to the west...
[more] WITTENBERGLow GermanHabitational name for someone from a place called Wittenberg, Wittenberge, or Wittenbergen.
WITTENBORNLow GermanHabitational name from any of several places so named, for example near Bad Segeberg and near Neubrandenburg.