German surnames for guys. The most common German surnames are aquilaaquilonis. For example, you can consider the surnames of famous German women and their meanings

Kirill Sobolev

If your hands are golden, then it doesn’t matter where they come from.

Due to their sonority and beauty, German family nicknames are very popular among the people of many countries. Each of the proper names is unique and has a specific origin. Anyone who wants to join the culture of the peoples of Germany will be able to choose a nickname to their liking, whether it sounds beautiful or has a sacred meaning.

German names and surnames

The history of the appearance of German names and surnames begins in ancient times. Personal names were intended to carry not only a beautiful combination, but also a magical meaning that endowed the owner with certain character qualities. The family nicknames of the Germans had a slightly different character of formation. They began to emerge from the meanings of nicknames, which reflected:

• already existing bright qualities of a person (Braun - brown, Schwarz - black, Klein - small);
• the area where he lived (von Berne, von der Vogelweide);
• the profession of the owner or his type of activity (Becker - baker, Koch - cook, Bauer - peasant);
• many were formed from personal names (Peters, Walter).

Gradually, peculiar nicknames began to be written down in official documents and acquired the meaning of the first German surnames, which were adopted by all the descendants of the people who bore them. Business papers began to distribute them widely. In many modern German families, it is customary to address servants simply by name, without using the addresses that are familiar to this European country and have a respectful meaning:

• Herr – for men;
• Frau – for women.

The prefix "von" in German surnames

Many Germanic surnames have the prefix “von” at the beginning. It was very honorable to have one, since it was assigned exclusively to people of noble blood - aristocrats. In ancient times, only feudal lords - people who owned servants and land plots - could have such a registration. Today, the prefix “von” in German surnames can be found among people of any kind of activity, since all noble privileges have been abolished.

German surnames for girls

Girls with sonorous names can assign themselves a second name of foreign origin. To respectfully address women in Germany, the word “Frau” is used, which means “mistress”. Beautiful German female surnames for girls:

• Kaufman - merchant;
• Becker - baker;
• Riger – from Riga;
• Klee – clover;
• Hertz - courage;
• Reuss - on behalf of;
• Schultz – headman;
• Mayer – farmer, burgomaster;
• Till is a strong ruler;
• Junghans - on behalf of the family.

German male surnames

Male surnames should have a noble and majestic meaning. Representatives of the stronger sex can choose them based on translation from German, in accordance with their profession or appearance. To emphasize significance, the word “Herr” should be used when addressing. List of popular beautiful male German proper names with their meaning:

• Fisher - fisherman;
• Schmidt – blacksmith;
• Becker - baker;
• Koch is a cook;
• Richter – judge;
• Brown - brown;
• Lange – big;
• Klein – small;
• Schroeder - tailor;
• Koehler - coal miner;
• Kening is the king;
• Krause – curly;
• Lehmann is a landowner.

Popular German surnames

Common German surnames are often used as nicknames. They are beautiful, noble, sonorous. Many famous people have such family nicknames. List of popular beautiful Germanic proper names with meanings:

• Muller - miller;
• Mayer - land manager;
• Weber - weaver;
• Wagner - carriage maker;
• Schultz – headman;
• Hoffmann - courtier;
• Schaefer - shepherd;
• Bauer is a peasant;
• Wolf - wolf;
• Neumann is a new man;
• Zimmerman – carpenter;
• Kruger is a potter;
• Schwartz – black;
• Hartmann - from a male personal name.

There are other beautiful nicknames:

• Walter;
• Berg;
• Borman;
• Bremer;
• Brunner;
• Ganz;
• Gruber;
• Geller;
• Seiler;
• Simmel;
• Singer;
• Keller;
• Kramer;
• Liebknecht;
• Leitner;
• Merkel;
• Meyer;
• Moritz;
• Neller;
• Osterman;
• Pearl;
• Preuss;
• Riedel;
• Rogge;
• Rothman;
• Frieze;
• Fuchs;
• Hoffman;
• Zuckerman;
• Schwartz;
• Schiller;
• Schmidt;
• Schneider;
• Shredder;
• Matte;
• Ebel.

German surnames began to appear and spread from the 12th century. But it was not until 1875 that they began to register and enroll. Since then, every German has a first name (Vorname), sometimes a middle name (Zwischenname) and a surname (Familienname).

Origin of German surnames:

• from profession
• on behalf of father or mother
• from the nickname (long, curly...
• from origin (name of village or hamlet)
• from place of residence (name of place of residence)

A huge number of German surnames come from various professions. Therefore, the most popular German surnames are the names of professions that were common in the Middle Ages. For example, the profession of a farmer was so common then that it was not very suitable for the role of a surname (Bauer), which would distinguish people from each other. Therefore, this surname occupies only 13th place in the list. Farmers then received mostly surnames that came from the names of the villages and hamlets in which they lived.

Examples of surnames:

• German surname Müller - derived from the profession of a miller;
• German surname Schmidt - from blacksmithing;
• German surnames Schneider, Schroeder (Schneider) mean tailor;
• the German surname Fischer corresponds to fishing;
• The German surname Weber means weaver;
• The German surname Lehmann translates as landowner.

There are also many German surnames that are of Slavic origin. These surnames originated in the lands of Sachsen, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the Slavs formerly lived. About 13% of Germans now have Slavic surnames. Examples of surnames:

Nowak (Polish)

Noack (Serbian)

Also, due to the abundance of Turkish migrants, Turkish surnames are becoming widespread:

By the way, earlier German surnames also had feminine endings, just like in Russian. For example, Müller in— “Melnikov A". These endings persisted until the 18th century, and then disappeared. Sometimes such endings can still be heard in Bavarian German.

List of the most popular German surnames:

1. Müller (miller)
2. Schmidt (blacksmith)
3. Schneider (tailor)
4. Fischer (fisherman)
5. Weber (weaver)
6. Meyer (builder)
7. Wagner (carriage maker)
8. Becker (baker)
9. Schulz (chief in town, village)
10. Hoffmann (profession)
11. Schäfer (shepherd)
12. Koch (cook)
13. Bauer (farmer)
14. Richter (profession)
15. Klein (small)
16. Wolf (wolf)
17. Schröder (Schneider) (tailor)
18. Neumann (new)
19. Schwarz (black)
20. Zimmermann (carpenter)
21. Braun (brown)
22. Krüger (innkeeper)
23. Hofmann (profession)
24. Hartmann (profession)
25. Lange (long)
26. Schmitt (profession)
27. Werner (name)
28. Schmitz (printer)
29. Krause (curly)
30. Meier (builder)
31. Lehmann (profession)
32. Schmid (profession)
33. Schulze (profession)
34. Maier (builder)
35. Köhler (profession)
36. Herrmann (name)
37. König (king)
38. Walter (name)
39. Mayer (builder)
40. Huber (profession)
41. Kaiser (Kaiser)
42. Fuchs (fox)
43. Peters (name)
44. Lang (long)
45. Scholz (profession)
46. Möller (profession)
47. Weiß (white)
48. Jung (young)
49. Hahn (rooster)
50. Schubert (shoemaker)

Such a maneuver can hardly be called deception - most likely it is a pseudonym, a way to use your favorite names and surnames.

The most popular nicknames for social networking accounts are German surnames.

Girls especially often use German surnames. By monitoring the accounts, you can identify particularly popular options.

List of popular German surnames for girls with translation

Before using a specific German surname, it is worth knowing the exact translation. Sometimes funny stories happen when the “carrier” learns the translation from friends or acquaintances.

The peculiarity of German surnames lies in their origin. Each option has historical origins: profession, social status, habits.

Note! It is worth knowing the ethics regarding writing surnames in German. Some options cannot be used by a girl, others are not suitable for men.

Thanks to the lists, you can choose a surname not only with a normal meaning, but also a beautiful sounding one. There are lists of the most popular options, compiled according to statistics from German institutions.

Translation for German surnames:

Beautiful German names and their meanings

German female names are very beautiful and sonorous, as they combine Latin, Greek, Scandinavian and English motifs.

Some of them are inherent in the Slavic peoples and are actively used. It is considered fashionable to give children foreign names. Especially if it's a girl.

Some variants of names are also popular in our country, but they are sweet-sounding and do not hurt the ear with their non-standard pronunciation.

When choosing a foreign name for a girl, it is important to know the meaning and translation.

Beautiful female names and their meanings:

1. Amalia is translated as work. Assigned to hardworking and diligent girls.
2. Beata has ecclesiastical origins and literally means blessed.
3. Bertha is magnificent, the most wonderful and charming.
4. Irma has a direct translation: dedicated to the god of war. There are Roman roots here.
5. Katarina or Katherine means pure maiden. The owners were the daughters of shepherds and clergy.
6. Laura was the name given to people in Rome who received a laurel wreath - a sign of greatness and victory.
7. Malvina has a literal translation - friend of justice.
8. Sophie and everything that comes from him are defined as wisdom.
9. Teresa is translated from German as beloved or strong. Borrowed from Greek, where it means female hunters.
10. Eleanor has two meanings. The first is foreign, and the second is different.
11. Elvira is the protector of everyone.
12. Jadwiga is the name of a rich warrior who glorified one of the Scandinavian villages.

There are options for double names that combine Slavic and German names.

Many believe that this combination activates energy centers that are responsible for certain areas of human activity.

What German surname and first name should I choose for the VKontakte network?

It is also important that this VKontakte account is not encountered too often.

1. According to statistics The most harmonious and interesting are the following German surnames: Mayer, Weber, Braun, Werner, Lehmann.

   Their popularity is indicated by their bearers - they are all famous people of art and science.

2. Most Popular names in Germany according to registry office statistics for the last 30 years: Sophie, Marie, Hannah.

   Over the past year, the most frequently registered girls are the following names: Mia, Emma, ​​Lilly, Emilia, Maya, Sarah.

3. Can interpret your name as foreign, changing the ending, stress, and pronunciation inherent in the language.

   For example, Sofia sounds like Sophie in a foreign way; Maria, like Marie.

If your account contains a German first and last name, then when choosing, you should work on the consonance. Even the simplest and most popular first and last names often do not go together.

Attention! An interesting option would be the German version of the surname with the real name of the owner of the page on the social network. This technique is most popular among teenagers.

The advantage of German names is that they all have a specific meaning and meaning.

There are no fictional options that do not carry any semantic meaning. Therefore, the choice for a social network must be thoughtful.

Related Posts

A person is always attracted to the beautiful, unusual, mysterious and overseas - this also applies to names and surnames. For example, if you look at popular social networks, you will notice that people often add interesting nicknames to their names or even change them in a foreign style. Recently, German surnames have become mega-popular, which is easily explained by their euphony and the special charm inherent in this nation.

Surnames of German origin really attract and intrigue with their sound. If you pronounce any of them - Schmidt, Weber or, for example, the surname Müller, familiar to everyone from the film “12 Moments of Spring”, then it will sound short, clear, laconic, somehow very capacious and complete, as if it contains a huge meaning. In addition, they all go well with almost any name, regardless of its national origin and gender. It is these qualities that determine universal recognition, but few people know what the true meaning of German names and surnames is.

Initially, the Germans only bore names that they received from their mothers for a reason, but with a certain intent. In ancient times, it was believed that a name carries a special power and can magically influence the character and destiny of a person (and even today, few would argue with this statement). Therefore, German parents named their children with a name that had a special double meaning.

Here are some examples:

• Brunghilda – warrior and woman;
• Frideric – ruler and rich;
• Adolf – wolf and noble;
• Rhaimonda – protector and wisdom;
• Günther is an army and invincible.

Later, apparently, when there were too many namesakes to avoid confusion, the Germans began to add unique nicknames to the names, which could mean the following:

• craft - miller, cook (Koch), baker (Becker), merchant (Kaufmann), carriage driver (Wagner);
• belonging to a clan - children of Ganz, Gilbert, Junghans;
• personal qualities – small (Klein), black (often about hair, Schwarz), long (meaning tall, Lange), strong (Stark);
• place of birth or residence – Bruch, Berne;
• resemblance to various objects or natural phenomena - forge (Horn), abyss (Schlund), air (Luft), spring (Lentz).

The Germans liked the idea of ​​nicknames and made their life much easier, since it became much clearer which Hanz, Peter or Karl they were talking about. Therefore, it was decided to record in official documents not only names, but also nicknames, which later turned into surnames and began to be passed on from parents to children, and from husbands to wives. By the way, a little later in Germany a decree was issued banning triple surnames (in 1993), which began to appear in connection with the remarriage of German women. It is the origin of German surnames that determines their capacity and sonority.

In the sections presented below, the most beautiful options suitable for women and men are selected, as well as a list of surnames originally from Germany, the most popular today throughout the world and directly in Russia.

Beautiful German surnames for girls

So, this section presents a selection of the most beautiful German surnames for girls, among which there will definitely be options that fit perfectly with any name.

As an example and proof of compatibility, it is worth considering several Russian female names, both common and not so common:

1. Nastenka (a common Russian female name, however, with Greek roots, but that doesn’t matter), that is, Anastasia goes well with the surname Fisher - Anastasia Fisher.
2. Mashenka (also Russian, but this time with Jewish roots), Maria sounds great together with the surname Schneider - Maria Schneider.
3. Thekla (rare, old and very Russian) - even for such a unique and slightly rustic name, you can easily choose a beautiful surname in the German style, for example, Thekla von Feuerbach.

By the way, the prefix von today is just a beautiful transition, but in earlier times it meant belonging to the aristocracy.

For example, you can consider the surnames of famous German women and their meanings:

• Marlene Dietrich/Dietrich – master key;
• Yvonne Catterfeld – competent, lucky;
• Nina Hagen / Hagen – a city in western Germany;
• Helena Fischer/Fischer – fisherman;
• Stephanie Kloss/Kloß – lump;
• Steffi Graf / Graf – count;
• Magdalena Neuner / Neuner – nine;
• Annie Frisinger/Frisinger – hairdresser.

Further, options that are perfect for many female names:

• Fertikh/Fertich – dexterous, ready to travel;
• Brown/ Braun – brown, bear;
• Becker / Bäcker – baker of buns;
• Herbel/Herbel – astringency;
• Krause/Krause – curly, curly;
• Heit/Heit – steppe, wasteland;
• Lentz/ Lentz – spring;
• Schiller/Schiller – flicker;
• Sommer/Sommer – summer;
• Schneider/Schneider – tailor;
• Kling / Kling – ring, sound;
• White/Weit – white, distant;
• Kai/Kai – embankment, pier;
• Koch/Koch – cook, cook;

Male surnames in Germany: list

Representatives of the stronger sex will also not have to be upset, since their names will also have perfectly matching and harmonious-sounding male German surnames, such as:

• Krieger/Krieger - fighter, warrior;
• Gruber/Gruber – miner;
• Schmid (Schmidt) / Schmied (Schmidt) – blacksmith;
• Shreiner/Schreiner – carpenter;
• Koller/Koller – coal miner;
• Wacker/Wacker – brave, decent;
• Schlosser/Schlosser – mechanic;
• Wolf / Wolf – wolf;
• Eisemann/Eisemann – iron man;
• Erhard/Erhard – strong-willed, tough;
• Stark/Stark – powerful, strong;
• Schäfer – shepherd, shepherd;
• Gärtner – gardener;
• Diner / Diener – employee;
• Jaeger / Jäger – hunter;
• Shamber/Schambär – shy bear;
• Falk/Falk – falcon;
• Schneidmiller – daring Miller;

The most popular and widespread options

It’s worth mentioning separately the ten most popular German surnames, in demand in their native land and terribly fashionable today in Russia.

Places in the top 10 were distributed as follows:

• first – Müller (flour grinder, miller);
• second – Kaufmann/Kaufmann (trader, merchant);
• third – Schneider (cutter, tailor);
• fourth – Fischer/Fischer (fisherman);
• fifth – Webber/Weber (weaver);
• sixth – Bauer/Bauer (farmer, tiller);
• seventh – Richter (expert, judge);
• eighth – Newman / Neumann (newcomer);
• ninth – Zimmermann (carpenter);
• tenth – Kruger / Krüger (innkeeper, potter).

This list can be continued almost endlessly, since many German surnames are popular. Not included in the top ten, but very close are Schmidt and Mayer, Schneider and Weber, Schulz and Becker, Wagner and Hofmann, Schaeffer and Koch, Klein and Wolf, Schroedder, Lemmann and others.

Thus, the brevity, laconism and organic nature of the German people are reflected even in their surnames, which are so loved by Russian citizens. And it is not necessary to take drastic measures - change the name in your passport, you can simply become a “German” on social networks for an indefinite period.

In European countries, as in the rest of the world, a person’s identity has been identified for many centuries by his name. An example is the son of God Jesus himself, who was named Emmanuel at birth and then called Yeshua. The need to distinguish different people with the same name required explanatory additions. This is how the Savior began to be called Jesus of Nazareth.

When did the Germans get surnames?

German surnames arose according to the same principle as in other countries. Their formation among the peasantry of various lands continued until the 19th century, that is, it coincided in time with the completion of state construction. The formation of a united Germany required a clearer and more unambiguous definition of who is who.

However, already in the 12th century, nobility existed on the territory of the current Federal Republic of Germany, and at the same time German surnames first appeared. As in other European countries, patronymics are not used for personal identification here. But at birth, a baby is usually given two names. You can address any person by adding a word indicating their gender. Women's German surnames are no different from men's, they just use the prefix “Frau” in front of them.

Types of German surnames

According to linguistic origin, German surnames can be divided into groups. The first and most common is formed from names, mostly male. This is explained by the fact that the mass assignment of surnames occurred in a fairly short (in the historical sense) period, and there was simply no time for the manifestation of any sophisticated imagination.

Surnames derived from given names

The simplest of them are those in the creation of which they did not think for a long time, but simply formed them on behalf of their first owner. Some peasant's name was Walter, and so his descendants received that surname. We also have Ivanovs, Sidorovs and Petrovs, and their origin is similar to the German Johannes, Peters or Hermanns. From the point of view of historical background, such popular German surnames say little, except that some ancient ancestor was called Peters.

Profession as a morphological basis of a surname

German surnames are somewhat less common, indicating the professional affiliation of their first owner, one might say, the ancestor. But the diversity of this group is much wider. The most famous surname in it is Müller, which means “miller” in translation. The English equivalent is Miller, and in Russia or Ukraine it is Melnik, Melnikov or Melnichenko.

The famous composer Richard Wagner could assume that one of his ancestors was engaged in freight transportation on his own cart, the ancestor of the storyteller Hoffmann owned his own farm yard, and the great-grandfather of the pianist Richter was a judge. The Schneiders and Schroeders once did tailoring, and the Singers loved to sing. There are other interesting German male surnames. The list continues with Fischer (fisherman), Becker (baker), Bauer (peasant), Weber (weaver), Zimmerman (carpenter), Schmidt (blacksmith) and many others.

Once upon a time during the war there was a Gauleiter Koch, the same one who was blown up by underground partisans. Translated, his surname means “cook.” Yes, he made some porridge...

Surnames as a description of appearance and character

Some male and possibly female German surnames are derived from the appearance or character of their first owner. For example, the word “lange” means “long” in translation, and it can be assumed that its original founder was tall, for which he received such a nickname. Klein (little) is his complete opposite. Krause means “curly”; such an attractive feature of the hair of some Frau who lived a couple of centuries ago can be inherited. Fuchs' ancestors were most likely as cunning as foxes. The ancestors of Weiss, Brown or Schwartz were, respectively, blonde, brown-haired or brunette. The Hartmans were distinguished by excellent health and strength.

Slavic origin of German surnames

The German lands in the east always bordered on and this created conditions for the mutual penetration of cultures. Well-known German surnames with the endings “-itz”, “-ov”, “-of”, “-ek”, “-ke” or “-ski” have a distinct Russian or Polish origin.

Lützow, Disterhoff, Dennitz, Modrow, Janke, Radecki and many others have long become familiar, and their total share is one fifth of the total number of German surnames. In Germany they are perceived as one of their own.

The same applies to the ending “-er”, which comes from the word “yar”, meaning a person in the Old Slavic language. A painter, a carpenter, a fisherman, a baker are obvious examples of such cases.

During the period of Germanization, many similar surnames were simply translated into German, choosing the appropriate roots or replacing the ending with “-er”, and now nothing reminds of the Slavic origin of their owners (Smolyar - Smoler, Sokolov - Sokol - Falk).

Background Barons

There are very beautiful German surnames, consisting of two parts: the main and a prefix, usually “von” or “der”. They contain information not only about unique appearance features, but also about famous historical events in which the owners of these nicknames took part, sometimes actively. Therefore, descendants are proud of such names and often remember their ancestors when they want to emphasize their own birth. Walter von der Vogelweid - it sounds! Or von Richthoffen, pilot and "Red Baron".

However, it is not only past glory that causes such complications in writing. The origin of German surnames can be much more prosaic and talk about the area in which the person was born. What, for example, does Dietrich von Bern mean? Everything is clear: his ancestors came from the capital of Switzerland.

German surnames of Russian people

Germans have lived in Russia since pre-Petrine times, populating entire areas called “settlements” according to ethnic principles. However, then all Europeans were called that way, but under the great reformer emperor the influx of immigrants from German lands was encouraged in every possible way. The process gained momentum during the reign of Catherine the Great.

German colonists settled in the Volga region (Saratov and Tsaritsin provinces), as well as in Novorossiya. A large number of Lutherans later converted to Orthodoxy and assimilated, but they retained their German surnames. For the most part, they are the same as those worn by settlers who came to the Russian Empire during the 16th-18th centuries, with the exception of those cases when the clerks who prepared the documents made clerical errors and mistakes.

Surnames considered Jewish

Rubinstein, Hoffman, Aizenstein, Weisberg, Rosenthal and many other surnames of citizens of the Russian Empire, the USSR and post-Soviet countries are mistakenly considered Jewish by many. This is wrong. However, there is some truth in this statement.

The fact is that Russia, starting from the end of the 17th century, became a country where every enterprising and hard-working person could find their place in life. There was enough work for everyone, new cities were built at an accelerated pace, especially in Novorossiya, conquered from the Ottoman Empire. It was then that Nikolaev, Ovidiopol, Kherson and, of course, the pearl of the south of Russia - Odessa - appeared on the map.

Extremely favorable economic conditions were created for foreigners coming to the country, as well as for its own citizens who wished to develop new lands, and political stability, supported by the military power of the regional leader, guaranteed that this situation would last for a long time.

Currently, Lustdorf (Jolly Village) has become one of the Odessa suburbs, and then it was a German colony, the main occupation of whose residents was agriculture, mainly viticulture. They also knew how to brew beer here.

Jews, famous for their business savvy, trading spirit and craft skills, also did not remain indifferent to the call of the Russian Empress Catherine. In addition, musicians, artists and other artists of this nationality came from Germany. Most of them had German surnames, and they spoke Yiddish, which in essence is one of the dialects of the German language.

At that time there was a “Pale of Settlement”, which, however, outlined a fairly large and not the worst part of the empire. In addition to the Black Sea region, Jews chose many areas of the current Kyiv region, Bessarabia and other fertile lands, building small towns. It is also important that living outside the Pale of Settlement was mandatory only for those Jews who remained faithful to Judaism. Having converted to Orthodoxy, everyone could settle in any part of the vast country.

Thus, immigrants from Germany of two nationalities became bearers of German surnames.

Unusual German surnames

In addition to the indicated groups of German surnames, derived from professions, hair color, and appearance features, there is one more, rare, but wonderful. And she talks about the glorious qualities of character, good disposition and fun for which the ancestors of the person bearing this name were famous. An example is Alisa Freundlich, who worthily confirms the reputation of her ancestors. “Kind”, “friendly” - this is how this German surname is translated.

Or Neumann. "New Man" - isn't it beautiful? How great it is to delight those around you, and yourself, every day with freshness and novelty!

Or economic Wirtz. Or Luther with pure thoughts and an open heart. Or Jung is young, regardless of the number of years he has lived.

Such interesting German surnames, the list of which can be continued endlessly!