The best German surnames. German male surnames
German surnames associated with the general process of formation of a hereditary family name in Western Europe. As usual, the feudal lords were the first to acquire them in order to legitimize their rights to possessions. Then these were nicknames that added special characteristics to personal names (Friedrich Barbarossa received his nickname for his red beard). Surnames and nicknames first began to appear in the 12th century in western Germany and slowly spread throughout the rest of the territory. Only eight centuries later did all the inhabitants of the country have surnames; the last to receive them were representatives of the lower strata of the population of Northern Germany by the end of the 19th century. Since German surnames are passed down through the male line, they have no differences in gender - the surnames of both men and women are pronounced and spelled the same. However, modern German women who pay attention to the harmonious combination of first and last names cannot be satisfied with such a combination as Anna Fischer (Anna the Fisherman). Then they take their mother's surname or create a double surname.
It's interesting that in dictionary of German surnames There are surnames with the ending -ov or –ev, which makes them similar to Russian surnames (Badrov, Dorov, Masov). Declension these and others German surnames in Russian it obeys general rules changes in surnames by case.
Classification of German surnames and their meaning
List of German surnames makes it possible to divide them into several groups according to origin. As in others European countries, many German surnames were formed from personal names (Walter, Peters). The other group reflects the individual characteristics of the first owner of the surname (Klein-small, Neumann-black-haired). Meaning parts German surnames corresponds to geographical names, for example, Bayer (from Bavaria), Boehm (from the Czech region of Bohemia). Often people received surnames from the name of a building or piece of land. So Rosenbauer is a peasant who lived on a farm called “Rose”. If you look list of German surnames in alphabetical order, then you can see how many surnames were formed from the names of professions and positions - Schmidt (blacksmith), Mayer (farm manager), Tepfer (potter), Müller (miller). Some German surnames are influenced by local dialects or foreign languages. In this case, their interpretation is somewhat difficult.
List of German surnames shows which surnames are the most common in Germany at the moment.
Popular German surnames and their translation
The list below shows how the German surnames most often found in Germany are translated. These surnames are the most famous and common in this country.
Muller(Müller) - miller
Schmidt(Schmidt) - blacksmith
Schneider(Schneider) - tailor
Fisher(Fischer) - fisherman
Mayer(Meier) - property manager
Weber(Weber) - weaver
Wagner(Wagner) - carriage maker, carriage maker
Becker(Becker) - baker
Schultz(Schulz) - headman
Hofmann, Hoffman(Hoffmann) - courtier
Schaefer(Schäfer) - shepherd-sheepdog
Koch(Koch) - cook
Bauer(Bauer) - peasant
Richter(Richter) - judge
Klein(Klein) - small
Wolf(Wolf) - wolf
Schroeder(Schröder) - tailor
Neumann(Neumann) - new person
Schwartz(Schwarz) - black (black-haired)
Zimmermann(Zimmermann) - carpenter
Brown(Braun) - brown
Kruger(Krüger) - potter
Hartmann(Hartmann) - from the male name Hartmann
Lange(Lange) - long (large)
Werner(Werner) - from the male name Werner
Krause(Krause) - curly
Lehmann(Lehmann) - landowner
Köhler(Köhler) - coal miner
Herman(Hermann) - from the male name Herrmann
Koenig(König) - king
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, beautiful in sound or with 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 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 available bright qualities human (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. For respectful treatment The word used for women in Germany is "Frau", meaning "mistress". Beautiful German female surnames with their meaning 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
German male surnames should have a noble and majestic meaning. Representatives of the stronger sex can choose them by translation, 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.
Starting with last name Gafferber The material is given without indicating the German spelling of surnames. In other words, the third column disappears. This is due to the fact that at present and in the foreseeable future I do not have the opportunity to concentrate on working on the names of Russian Germans. If desired, anyone interested can try to restore the German spelling of a particular surname, relying on printed sources or Internet resources. I hope that in the future I will be able to implement this scientific project in the form in which it was originally conceived.
In the table below, the names of the areas are given in the forms at the time of collecting the material.
Abbreviations for areas:
Alm - Alma-Ata, Dzham - Dzhambul, Kar - Karaganda, Kus - Kustanay, Ts - Tselinograd
Last name in Russian spelling Areas where met Shaab Kus Shaad C Schaadt Alm Shaas Kus Schaaf Jam Scraper Kus Chabert C Shabrik Kar Schaerman Kar, Kus, Ts Shaibel Jam Schaible Alm Shaidman Kus Scheidt Alm Shaidyman Kus Scheierman Kar Shireman Kus Scheifler Kar Shalman C Shalo Alm Shawl Kus Schalbourg Alm Chamber C Schamberger Kus Shamne Jam Shander Jam Shandra Kar Shank Jam Sharkovsky C Schartner Kar Scarf Alm Schattschneider Alm Schaubert C Schauer Kar Schauerman C Shaurman Jam, Ts Shaf C Schafert Kus Shafner Kus, Ts Saffron Alm Schaff Kar Schatz Kus Shaerman C Schwaab Kar Schwab Kar, Kus, Ts Schwabauer Jam Shvabaur Kus Schwabenland Kar Schwabecher Kar Schwagerus Alm Schweigerdt Kar Schweigert Kus Schweier Kus Schweitzer Alm Schwamm C Schwan Jam Schwartz Jam, Kus, Ts Schwarzkop Kus Schwarzkopp Kus Schwarzkopf Jam, Kar, Ts Schwebel Kus Schweigerdt C Schweid Kus Schweidt Kus Schweikert Alm Schweir Kus Schweitz Kus Schweitzer Alm Schweckler C Schwemler C Schweng C Schwendt Kus Shvendykh Alm Schwenil Alm Schwenk Kar Centerboard Alm Schwiderik Alm Schwin Jam Schwindt Kus, Ts Sheva Alm Chevalier Alm Sheveleva Alm Schedel Kar Scheidemann Kus Scheuermann Kar Scheiknecht Kar Shane Jam, Kar Shane Alm Sheinberg C Shaning Kus Shanefish Kar Shafer Kus Sheifner Kus Shek Kus Shekk Kar, Kus Schelenberg Kus Shelin Kar Shelle Alm Scheller Kar, Kus Shel Kar, Kus, Ts Shemberger Kar Shemp Alm Schoenberg Kus Schoenberger Jam, Kus Shengals Alm Shengel Kar Shengof Kar Schendel Jam Shender Kus Shendrich C Shener Kus Schönerstedt C Schenk Kar Schenke C Shenkovsky C Shenrok Kus Chance C Shentur Alm Shenfeld Kar, Kus Schoenfeldt Jam Etymologies of some surnames
Basic abbreviations: goth. – Gothic, Old English – Old English (the same as the Anglo-Saxon language), Old German. – Old High German, Old Saxon. – Old Saxon, Old Scand. – Old Scandinavian, N.-German. – Low German, German. – German, see – see (follow the link), Middle German. – Middle High German, Middle German. – Middle Low German.
Schaad, Schaadt. German Schaad, Schaadt, Schade, Schad. From a nickname from Middle German. schade – “the one who causes harm, the harming enemy”; “harmful, harmful”, “damage, loss, destruction, evil”. Schade occurs 6985 times, – 1912, Schad – 906, Schadt – 265, Schaad – 195, Schaadt – 97.
Schaade Schaaf, Schaff, Schaff. Schaad, Schaadt, Schade, Schad. German Schaaf, Schaf, Schaff. schaf- “sheep”. This could be the name of a shepherd, or it could be a figurative comparison of a person with a given domestic animal. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schaaf – 222, occurs 4733 times, – 152, Schaff – 138.
Schaf Schaaff Chabert, Chabert. German Schaber, Schabert. From a nickname to designate a profession from Middle German. schaben - “scratch, grind, engrave, polish, shave smooth.” This verb can indicate different professions - barber, copper engraver, one who works with a fabric scraper, etc. Last name Schabert developed from a surname Schaber. From a nickname to designate a profession from Middle German. – 303.
In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schaber occurs 752 times, Schaerman, Scheierman, Scheierman, Schauerman, Schaurman, Schaerman, Scheuerman. German Scheuermann. 1. From the job title to-mann German from Middle-European German 1. From the job title to schiure German- “barn” for the caretaker of the master’s barn. 2. Education on from the surname according to the characteristics of the place of residence Scheuer - from Middle-century German.– “barn” for someone who lives in a barn or next to a barn. 3. Or education on from toponyms Scheuer (in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria), Scheuern German(in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Bavaria). Numerous variations of this surname in Russian spelling among Russian Germans are probably explained by dialect differences and difficulties of transmission by means of the Russian language. In addition, last names Schauerman, Schauerman can be considered as formations on from last name Schauer - from the title of the position from Middle German. schouwære - “a caretaker of something.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname – 314, Scheuermann – 180, occurs 2445 times, – 5.
Scheiermann Schaber Schauermann From the name of a person’s position from Middle German. scheideman- "judge". In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Scheidemann occurs 396 times, Scheidmann – 36.
Schwaab, Schwab. German Schwab, Schwabe, Schwaab. 1. Goes back to Middle German. Swap, Swab(e) - “Swabian” (a resident of the historical region of Swabia in southwestern Germany, in the upper reaches of the Rhine and Danube, and also speaking a Swabian dialect). 2. A nickname for someone who has connections (for example, trade) with Swabia. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwab occurs 9842 times, – 4115, Schwabe – 585.
Schwaab Schaber Schwabauer, Schwabaur. Schwabauer. - “Swabian” (a resident of the historical region of Swabia in southwestern Germany, in the upper reaches of the Rhine and Danube, and also speaking a Swabian dialect). 2. A nickname for someone who has connections (for example, trade) with Swabia. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname 1. The surname arose by adding from (“Schwab”, see) + Schwaab, Schwab Bauer ("peasant"). This could be the name of a peasant from Swabia. This etymological version is confirmed by the presence of the surname Schwabbauer, in which consonant fusion b at the junction components did not happen (or it did, but was not reflected in the letter). 2. In some cases, it can go back to naming a person at the place of his previous residence Schwabau (Schwabau is now part of the municipality of Straden in the Austrian state of Styria). In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwabauer
occurs 264 times. Schaber Schweigerdt, Schweigert, Schweigerdt, Schweikert. Schweigert, Schweikert. All these surnames go back to the Old German personal name Swindger (from ancient German. swind "strong" + gēr "a spear"). A number of surnames come from this name - Schabert Schweiger, Schweigert, Schweighard, Schweighar(d)t, Schweikart, Schweikert, Schwickert, Schwieger. Schweikert occurs 1144 times, – 1041, Schweigert – 9.
Schweigerdt Schaber Schwarzkopf, Schwarzkop, Schwarzkopp. Schwarzkopf, Schwarzkopp, Schwarzkop. From the nickname of a man with black hair, literally "black head". Surnames Schwarzkop, Schwarzkopp contain in the second part a Low German dialect variant Kop(p) words Kopf ("head"). In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwarzkopf occurs 2051 times, – 25, Schwarzkopp – 3.
Schwarzkop Schweng, Schwenk. German Schweng, Schwenk. From a person's nickname, which characterizes his gait. From Middle-German. swenke, swenken- “swing back and forth.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schwenk – 39.
occurs 2659 times, Schweng Shane Shane, Shayna. German Schön, Schöner. Shane- from a person’s nickname from Middle German. schon(e)- “beautiful, magnificent, brilliant, bright, white, wonderful.” Surname may be a dialectal variant of the surname Schöner, which a) is either a patronymic of-er may be a dialectal variant of the surname from common toponyms Schöna, Schönau. Schabert Schön occurs 8159 times, Schöner – 1301.
Shek, Shekk. German Scheck, Schöck. From a person’s nickname from Middle German. schëcke - “tight-fitting, striped or quilted, belt, tailcoat, cassock” for the one who wore these things or sewed them. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Scheck meets Scheck times, – 421.
Schöck Shelle, Chelle. German Schelle, Schell, Schöll. 1. From the nickname from Middle German. schël, schëllic– “hot-tempered, excited, wild; noisy, extravagant, crazy, frenzied." 2. From the nickname from Middle German. schëlle“bell, bell” for the fact that they were worn on clothes or for the one who made them. 3. From a derivative from Middle German. schël- “rogue, swindler.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname Schell – 973, occurs 3449 times, – 652.
Scholl Schaber Schelle Sheinberg, Schoenberg. Schelle Schabert Schönberg, Schöneberg. 1. From the name of a person at the previous place of residence from toponyms repeatedly found in Germany, Austria, Poland Schönberg – 809.
occurs 1581 times, Schöneberg Schenk, Schenke. German Schenck, Schenk, Schenck. From the nickname of a person based on his occupation from Middle-European German. schenke - “pouring servant, cupbearer”, in a broader sense - “master pouring wine, beer.” In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname – 1308, Schenk – 648.
occurs 10255 times, Schaber Schenke Schenck Schoenfeld, Schoenfeldt. Schönfeld, Schönfeldt. From naming a person at his previous place of residence from toponyms Schönfeld, Schönfelde, repeatedly found in Germany (Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria), Austria and Poland. In the German telephone directory for 1998, the surname – 764.
Schönfeld
- occurs 4559 times,
- Schönfeldt SOURCES OF ETYMOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS:[Instructions 1974] – Instructions for the Russian translation of German geographical names / compiled by: V. S. Shirokova; ed. G. P. Bondaruk. – M.: Printing house of the publishing house “Izvestia”, 1974.
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- [L] – Linnartz K. Unsere Familiennamen. 2 Bde. – 3. Auflage. – Bonn, 1958.
- – Luxemburgischer Familiennamenatlas // https://lfa.uni.lu.
- – Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon in 25 Bänden. 9. Auflage. – Mannheim, Wien, Zürich 1971–79.
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What German male and female first and last names are popular? Is it possible to name a child McDonald or Bremen in Germany? What did the ancient Germanic names mean and are they still preserved today? It has long been believed that a person’s name serves as a talisman that protects and influences the fate of its bearer. Many people tend to believe this to this day. So what are children called in Germany? Read all about German names and surnames in our article.
Previously people the lower class got by with only one name, for example, Heinrich, Anna, Dietrich. This fact is recorded in documents of the past, for example, in church books, contracts, court papers and in literary works that time.
During the Late Middle Ages, a tendency arose when a nickname (Beiname) or surname (Familienname) began to be added to the common name (Rufname). Rufname is the name by which it was preferable to address a person, for example, Heinrich. Beiname is a nickname that a person received depending on his personal qualities, appearance, etc.
Nicknames could have been needed to indicate that out of dozens of people with the name Heinrich, we are talking about the one with curly hair: this is how Heinrich Krause could appear. This step was also important for the city administration and other bureaucrats, again to distinguish citizens from each other.
An important difference between a nickname and a surname was that it was not passed on to subsequent generations. The name could also be added to, transformed from the type of activity of its bearer, the area where he lives, or, again, personal qualities. Surnames are passed down from one generation to another by inheritance. Today it can be argued that surnames, as such, were formed from nicknames.
Names
Conditionally can be divided German names into two groups - ancient Germanic and foreign languages (Latin and Greek), which came after the spread of Christianity. Names of ancient Germanic origin include, for example, Karl, Ulrich, Wolfgang, Gertrud. Ancient Germanic names consisted, as a rule, of two stems, each of which had its own meaning. Such names were supposed to influence the fate of a person, patronize him and protect him. Ancient documents (750-1080) indicate about 7,000 two-root Germanic names, most of which were masculine.
In the 11th century, such a variety of names came to naught due to the influence of the coming Christianity and the arrival of new, southern European names. The new religion gradually contributed to the fact that German names lost popularity and fell into oblivion.
It is interesting that in ancient Germanic names many roots mean war, battle or weapons.
Examples of bases denoting:
Battle: badu, gund, hadu, hari, hild, wig
Weapons: ekka, ger (spear), isan, ort (point of weapon)
Basics indicating ammunition and protection:
Brun: chest shield
Burg: refuge
Gard: fence
Linta: linden shield
Rand: high shield
Roots meaning characteristics of battle:
Bald: (kühn) brave
Harti: (hart) strong
Kuni: (kühn) brave
Muot: brave
Trud: (Kraft) strength
And signifying the consequences of the battle:
Sigu: (Sieg) victory
Hruod: (Friede) peace
Fridu: (Waffenruhe) truce
Diet: (Natur) nature
Animal world:
Arn: (Adler) eagle
Bero: (Bär) bear
Ebur: (Eber) boar
Hraban: (Rabe) raven
Wolf, wulf: (Wolf) wolf
The original meaning of many names today is difficult to decipher, since some letters of the name were lost over time when connecting the roots. However, by studying ancient names one can undoubtedly discover many interesting cultural and historical details. Unfortunately, today the interpretation of ancient Germanic names is rather generalized. Also, in addition to the mentioned two-root names, there were also some single-root ones. Famous among them are, for example, Karl, Bruno and Ernst.
Meanings of some German names:
Heinrich - housekeeper
Wolfgang - the way of the wolf
Ludwig - famous warrior
Wilhelm - reliable helmet
Friedrich - peaceful ruler
Rudolf - nice wolf
With the spread of Christianity, names of Greek and Roman origin were increasingly used rather than those of Germanic origin. In comparison with ancient Germanic names, they lacked the principle of division into two bases. Latin names with Roman origin are quite ordinary in their meaning and do not carry the greatness inherent in ancient Germanic names: Paulus - small, Claudius - lame. Children's names were often chosen depending on how the child was born: Tertiat - the third.
Traditional and beautiful-sounding names are very unsightly in their meaning, for example, Claudia - lame. Names that came under Greek influence were more cheerful. Amanda is worthy of love, Felix is happy.
For the last five years, the leading places in the lists of the most popular female and male names are occupied by Mia and Emma among girls, and Ben, Jonas and Luis among boys.
Other fashionable female names of recent years: Sofia, Anna, Emilia, Marie, Lena, Lea, Amelie, Emily, Lilly, Clara, Lara, Nele, Pia, Paula, Alina, Sarah, Luisa. Popular male names of the last five years: Leon, Lucas, Maximillian, Moritz, Tom, Tim, Eric, Jannik, Alexander, Aaron, Paul, Finn, Max, Felix.
And the most common names in Germany among the adult population (born between 1980 and 2000) sound completely different. For example, here are the most common male names: Peter, Michael, Wolfgang, Jurgen, Andreas, Stephan, Christian, Uwe, Werner, Hans, Mathias, Helmut, Jorg, Jens.
Female names: Ursula, Sabine, Monica, Susanne, Petra, Birgit, Andrea, Anna, Brigitte, Claudia, Angelika, Heike, Gabriele, Cathrin, Anja, Barbara. These names are not very common among young people and are more likely to be found among representatives of the older generation.
IN German There are not many ways to form a diminutive name. The main ones are: -le, -lein, -chen. For example, in the names Peterle, Udolein, Susannchen. A person can be addressed by a diminutive name within the family circle.
Among friends, at school or university, they often use just the short form of the name, it is more neutral: Klaus from Nikolaus, Gabi from Gabriel, Sussi from Susanne, Hans from Johannes. Usually, short names are formed using the morpheme -i at the end of a word.
Today, it is not uncommon for parents to initially give their child a short form of a name: Toni (instead of the full Antonie) or Kurt (instead of Konrad). In this case, the names obtained in this way are used on a par with the original full forms. Usage short forms as independent names was officially permitted from the 19th century. It is noteworthy that short and diminutive names are mostly neuter.
And my last name is too famous for me to mention it!
Just like in many other European countries, in Germany surnames first appeared among the nobility and feudal lords as a sign of belonging to a distinguished family at the beginning of the Middle Ages. Gradually, ordinary, non-noble people also received surnames. As in the Russian language, many surnames go back to designations of professions, types of activity, place of residence and qualities of a person (Kuznetsov, Popov, Volkov, Khoroshkin) or from personal names (Ivanov, Antonov). As for the differences, German surnames, as a rule, do not have feminine or masculine indicators, unlike Russian ones, where endings and suffixes almost always indicate the gender of the bearer: Kuznetsov - Kuznetsova, Ilyin - Ilyina, Savelyev - Savelyeva. It is worth noting that this was not always the case, and until the beginning of the 19th century in Germany there were special, feminine endings for surnames.
German surnames derived from personal names:
Walter, Hermann, Werner, Hartmann.
Surnames derived from nicknames:
Klein - small
Braun -brown
Neumann - new man
Krause - curly
Lange - long, lanky
Jung - young
Schwarz - black-haired
Stolz - proud
Bart - bearded man
Surnames formed from the names of professions and types of activity:
Müller - miller
Schmidt - blacksmith
Fischer - fisherman
Schneider - tailor, cutter
Wagner - carriage maker
Meyer - manager (of the estate)
Weber - weaver
Hoffman - courtier
Koch - cook
Becker - from German. Bäcker - baker
Schäfer - shepherd
Schulz - headman
Richter - judge
Bauer - peasant, country man
Schröder - tailor
Zimmermann - carpenter
Krüger - potter, innkeeper
Lehmann - landowner
König - king
Köhler - coal miner
Schuhmacher - shoemaker
10 most common surnames and their famous bearers:
Müller Otto Müller (1898 - 1979) - German artist and graphic artist.
Matthias Müller (1953) - head of the VW automaker.
Schmidt Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (1918 - 2015), German politician (SPD), Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982.
Schneider Romy Schneider (1938 - 1982), Austrian-German actress, recognized for her role in the Sisi film trilogy.
Fischer Helene Fischer (1984) German singer, singer of hits and pop music.
Meyer Friedrich Wilhelm Franz Meyer (1856 - 1935) - German mathematician.
Weber Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (1864 - 1920) German lawyer, economist and co-founder of sociology.
Schulz Axel Schulz (1968) - German boxer.
Wagner Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) was a German composer who wrote the music and libretto for the opera “The Ring of the Nibelung”.
Becker Boris Franz Becker (1967) is a German professional tennis player and Olympic champion.
Hoffman Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776 - 1822) - German lawyer, writer, composer, bandmaster, music critic, artist. Author of the books "The Nutcracker and Mouse King", "Everyday views of the cat Murr."
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When politely addressing a man with "You" they say Herr+(Nachname): Herr Müller When politely addressing a woman with "You" Frau+(Nachname): Frau Müller
When filling out official forms, you are always asked to indicate Vorname and Nachname. You should write your first name in the Vorname field, and your last name in the Nachname field.
In everyday life, the word der Name denotes the surname: “Mein Name ist Müller.”
Interestingly, German law prohibits giving children geographical names (Bremen, London), titles (Prinzessin), trademarks (Coca-Cola), surnames or fictitious names (as is customary, for example, in the USA) as names. But it is allowed give the child up to five names - and only two of them can be written with a hyphen (Anne-Marie).
Also unacceptable are names that are considered immoral and degrading to the child, are considered a religious taboo, or are not names. If the civil registry office refuses to enter the chosen name, the issue will be resolved in court.
Words and expressions:
Das Kind beim Namen nennen - calling a spade a spade
Die Dinge beim Namen nennen - calling a spade a spade
Auf einen Namen hören - respond to a nickname (about animals)
Unter falschem Namen - under someone else's name
Mein Name ist Hase - my hut is on the edge
Natalya Khametshina, Deutsch Online
The history of the emergence of generic names in Germany is similar to a similar trend in other countries of Western Europe. German surnames first appeared in the west of the country among the upper classes in the 12th century. Large feudal lords and small landowners were the first to acquire family names. Thus, the history of the formation of hereditary names is similar to similar processes occurring on Russian soil and in Western European countries.
Lastly, generic names were assigned to the lower strata of the population living in Northern Germany and Hanover. Here up to XIX century Some members of the population did not have hereditary "nicknames". Unlike Russia, it is not customary for Germans to pronounce patronymic names. A personal name in German cities is denoted by the word "Rufname", while a surname is "Familienname". As in France, you should start addressing Germans with prefixes: “Frau” for women and “Herr” for men.
The process of forming surnames took 8 centuries
The origin of German surnames coincides in time with the same process occurring in England and several other European countries. One of the reasons for the emergence of this process was economic development, through which social stratification of society occurred. As elsewhere, the first to receive hereditary names were the wealthy strata of the population - feudal lords and the highest nobility.
As throughout the world, German surnames appeared on the basis of the personal names of the ancestor of the clan, geographical toponyms, nicknames and a person’s work activity. The dictionary of German surnames demonstrates that most of them consist of a root stem and a suffix. The most popular and common generic names contain a proper name at the base. Vivid examples there will be Herman, Peters, Jacobi, Werner and other beautiful names. In Germany there are the least number of generic names based on nicknames, but there are still some.
The great Frederick Barbarossa received his nickname for wearing a red beard, so he became Frederick Redbeard, translated into Russian.
Some beautiful male hereditary names appeared from the names of nearby rivers, lakes and other natural objects. The dictionary of German surnames contains examples such as Dietrich von (von) Bern or Walter von de Vogelweid. But the largest percentage of German generic names came from the activities of the forefather. Such a common surname as Müller means “miller”. Beautiful male generic names, derived from occupations, are found everywhere in Germany.
Craft will add sophistication to a family name
The Germans are very practical and hard-working people, this is reflected in their family names. Common German surnames today are based on the names of the men's trades. So, the meaning of the surname Schmidt is blacksmith. The surname of the famous football player Schneider in translation sounds like “tailor”. The name “Schroeder” has the same translation. The legendary biathlete Fischer is nicknamed the “fisherman”, and the football player Müller is nicknamed the “miller”.
Unusual and at the same time beautiful surnames of men sound like Hofmann, Zimmerman and Wagner. Although they are known to the world thanks to their famous owners, these genus names are very popular in Germany. The list of common German surnames includes the 20 most common in the state. All of them are presented in alphabetical order in the list.
Men's surnames suit women well
The dictionary of German surnames contains a large number of generic names that do not in any way distinguish between male and female. Many hereditary “nicknames” sometimes do not fit the names of girls, but the Germans get out of this situation quite easily. Many take their mother's surname or make a double one. However, it all depends on the specific names of the girls. History remembers many female representatives with the surname Schmidt or Müller.
Very beautiful generic names for girls are Mayer, Lehmann, Peters and others. The most beautiful in in this case formed under the influence of the type of activity of the forefather or on his behalf. Of course, there are not many registered surnames in Germany, but they look quite noble. Peters will go with almost anyone female name, while Fischer (“The Fisherman”) is completely unsuitable for women.
Profession in surname
Male family names are distinguished by courage, as they contain information about the crafts of their ancestors. There are quite unusual hereditary names, but they all sound proud. The most famous interesting German surnames reflect the dignity of the family. For example, Schultz reports that the ancestor worked as a judge. Huber reflects his family's humble background as it translates to "Peasant".
If we take into account the origin of family names from the appearance of the forefather, then the most interesting ones, perhaps, will convey a person’s height, the color of his hair or lifestyle. History preserves such surnames of the Germanic people as Weiss ("White"), Lang ("Long"), Hahn ("Owner of the Roosters"), Kraus ("Curly") or Hartman - "Forest Man".
The surnames of German representatives are straightforward - they do not contain any additional prefixes.
In comparison, Russian, English, French and Spanish generic names are formed by adding additional particles - prefixes, suffixes or endings - to the root stem.
What is history silent about?
The dictionary of German surnames contains interesting generic names, where there are very, very many of them. It is worth noting that unusual surnames are associated with the indigenous basis from which they come. So, apparently, citizens who had just arrived on the territory of the state were given the nicknames Neumann, that is, “New Man.”
Small people were called Kleins, and brave warriors were called Hermanns. According to the profession, a person could be gifted with the family name Leymann, that is, “Holder of the Flax.” Quite rare today is the royal surname Koening, which comes from the word "king". Apparently, it was awarded to people close to the king or His Majesty’s subordinates.
Based on the color of their skin or hair, a person could receive the surname “Black” (Schwartz), and someone similar to a wolf received the corresponding generic name - Wolf.
Müllers are filling Germany
The most common surname in this state is Muller. It is worn by just under 1% of the entire population. Second place goes to the generic name Schmidt, that is, “Blacksmith”. The Schneiders are in third place; they make up half a percent of the entire population of the country. Fischers, Mayers and Webers are owned by about the same number of people. Behind them were Schultz, Wagner and Becker. There is an assumption that this hereditary name was assigned by a large feudal lord who owned large amounts of land. It is not surprising that representatives of this genus are represented in very small numbers, but the whole world knows Hoffman alone as a famous actor.
