BERNERGerman, Low German German 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 German Patronymic 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 German North German: topographic name denoting someone who lived by a well or spring, from Middle Low German born ‘spring’, ‘well’ + man ‘man’.
BRASDutch, Low German Dutch 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.
BRINKLow German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish The Dutch and Low German meaning is "village green". In Danish and Swedish, the name is thought to be a borrowing of Middle Dutch brinc / brink, meaning "grassy edge" or perhaps "slope",, and the Danish word now means "where the water runs deep".
BRUEGGEMANNLow German, German North 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).
BRUEGGERLow German North German (Brügger): occupational name for a bridge keeper, paver, or road builder, Middle Low German brügger. Compare BRUEGGEMANN.
DISTELGerman, Low German, Dutch Topographic name for someone who lived by a patch of ground overgrown with thistles, or perhaps a nickname for a "prickly" person, from Middle High German, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch distel "thistle".
DOHRMANNLow German North 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.
DÜCKLow German, German North German nickname for a coward, from Low German duken ‘to duck or dive’. ... [more]
ESCHELSLow German A name common to the native inhabitants of the island of Föhr off the coast of northern Germany.
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 German Topographic 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 German Originally 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 German A 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.
GRAPELow German Metonymic 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 German The 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]
JUHLDanish, Norwegian (Rare), Low German Likely originating as a nickname for people born around Christmas or who had a connection with that time of year, from the Old Norse jól, which was the name of the Nordic pagan midwinter festival, or modern Danish jul meaning "Christmas" (cf... [more]
KRANEDutch, Low German Dutch: nickname for a long-legged or tall thin man, from Middle Dutch crane ‘crane’. ... [more]
KROSSLow German Occupational name for a maker of mugs and jugs, from Middle Low German krus, kros 'pitcher', 'ceramic drinking vessel'.
KÜHLGerman, Low German The 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]
LÖSCHLow German, Upper German North German metonymic occupational name for a maker of fine leather, from Middle Low German losche ‘fine leather’. South German variant of LESCH (see LOESCH).
PENNINGEnglish, Dutch, Low German From 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.
POSTHUMUSDutch, Low German From 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, English I comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
RAHNLow German From the slavic tribe of the Rani on the island of Rügen.
REESELow German, Dutch, German Nickname for a very big man, from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch rese ‘giant’.... [more]
ROEBERLow German Habitational 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.
ROHELow German The surname ROHE is from a short form of a Germanic formed with Middle High German Rouen 'to roar' or old High German ruin 'Care' , 'intent' (See roch).
ROOSEstonian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, German (Swiss), Low German Means "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.
SCHUTTEDutch, Low German Dutch and North German (Schütte) occupational name for an archer, from Middle Low German schutten ‘to shoot’. Compare German Schuetz.
SIEVERTLow German, Dutch, Swedish Derived from the given name SIEVERT. A Sievert (Sv) is a unit measuring the effect of ionizing radiation on the human body (called equivalent absorbed radiation dose)... [more]
SPLINTERLow German, German From Low German splinter ‘splinter’; probably a metonymic occupational name for a woodworker.
SPRINGBORNLow German The surname goes back to the place of living of the first carrier of that surname in medieval times, who lived in the vicinity of a spring or water well. Springborn is of German origin, specifically Middle Low German... [more]
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.
STEVENScottish, English, Dutch, Low German From the personal name Steven, a vernacular form of Latin Stephanus, Greek Stephanos "crown". This was a popular name throughout Christendom in the Middle Ages, having been borne by the first Christian martyr, stoned to death at Jerusalem three years after the death of Christ... [more]
STRICKERGerman, Low German, Dutch Occupational name for a rope maker or knitter (of hose, for example), from an agent derivative of Middle High German, Middle Low German stricken ‘to tie’.
SUHLow German North German from Middle Low German su ‘sow’, either a metonymic occupational name for a swineherd or an offensive nickname.
SYDOWLow German Habitational name from any of several places so named in Germany.
TEAGARDENLow German The surname Teagarden was first found in Bavaria, where the name Tiegarten was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. The name appeared in Solingen as Thegarden as early as 1374 and was recorded as Tegarden in 1488... [more]
TRAUSCHGerman, Slavic, Low German, Luxembourgish A nickname either derived from Trauschke, a nickname from Old Slavic drugu "companion", or from Middle Low German druus "sullen", "dour".
ULENSPEGELLow German, Literature This is the name of Dyl Ulenspegel is a trickster figure originating in Middle Low German folklore, possibly meaning "owl mirror".
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 German From 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]
WIEMANNLow German Variant of WEINMANN, from Middle Low German, Middle High German winman ‘viticulturalist’, ‘wine merchant’. Variant of WIEDEMANN... [more]