German male names. What do German names mean: interpretation and history of origin

All modern German names are divided into two groups: those of ancient Germanic origin and those borrowed from the Catholic calendar and other languages. In modern German law, it is forbidden to give children fictitious names, geographical names(as, for example, in America). You can choose only those that correspond to the Catholic traditions of the people.

However, abbreviated forms are allowed to be used as official ones. For example, such German female names, like Katharina, Annette, Suzanne, are more often found in the form of Katya, Ann, Susie. Frequently double names: Annmarie is Anna + Marie. Nowadays, the choice of names is greatly influenced by pop music, cinema, and television.

In general, the number of names for children can be unlimited: usually there are 1-2 names, but sometimes there are up to ten. For example, you can easily come across such German male names, like Hans, Victor, Georg, in the form of the name of one person, this is not so uncommon. Although usually, upon reaching adulthood, at the request of the bearer of the name, everything is entered in his passport, or he takes for himself one of the names noted on the birth certificate.

Names were most often borrowed from neighboring cultures: the French, Spanish, English, and so on. There are also names in the German language borrowed from the Russian language: Sasha, Vera, Natasha.
Here are some meanings of native German names: Heinrich - “housekeeper”, Ludwig - “ famous warrior", Wilhelm - "protection", Karl - "free", Adolf - "noble wolf", Arnold - "soaring eagle".

Groups of German names

Most modern German names can be divided into two groups. The first are names of ancient Germanic origin (Karl, Ulrich, Wolfgang, Gertrud), the second are foreign names borrowed from the Catholic calendar (Johann, Katharina, Anna, Margarete). German law prohibits giving children geographical names, surnames or fictitious names as names (as is customary, for example, in the United States), but allows an unlimited number of names, which is consistent with Catholic traditions, which are followed by a third of the German population.

IN Lately short or diminutives: Kathi (instead of Katharina), Heinz (instead of Heinrich). The merging of double names is also practiced: Marlene = Maria + Magdalene, Annegret = Anna + Margarete, Annemarie = Anna + Marie.

Transcription of German names

Until the middle of the 20th century, in Russian it was customary to render the German sound [h] as “g”: Hans - Hans, Helmut - Helmut, Burkhard - Burkgard. By modern rules In practical transcription these names are rendered as Hans, Helmut, Burkhard. An exception (for obvious reasons) is made only for the transmission of the letter combination “her”: Herbert - Herbert, Herwig - Gerwig. In other cases, it is recommended to convey the pronounced [h] as “x”. (Although the old traditions are still alive: we say and write Heinrich Heine, Wilhelm Hohenzollern, although in fact these names should sound: Heinrich Heine, Wilhelm Hohenzollern).

Female names ending in -e are sometimes rendered in Russian transcription with the ending -a: Martine - Martina, Magdalene - Magdalena (especially since the German language also has the forms Martina and Magdalena). At the same time, for some names there is a stable form of transmission through -e: Anneliese - Anneliese, Hannelore - Hannelore.
Modern German names did not appear immediately; they appeared gradually by borrowing from other languages. Some names have ancient Germanic roots, although their sound has undergone significant changes since those times.

Since the 12th century, the German language has developed a form of name consisting of two parts: one or more personal names and a surname. At the same time, the gender of its owner can be determined by the personal name. Children are sometimes given several personal names: one, two, or even more. This is completely legal, but when he comes of age, he can choose one of the names or leave all. Sometimes given names are also used as surnames.

The process of naming a child

Immediately after birth, the child is given a name. However, it must meet certain requirements:

it should not have an unsightly sound or indecent meaning that infringes on the dignity of the child;

By the name of the child, you can without hesitation determine his gender. If this is not done, then a second name is chosen, which will apply to either women or men. Name Maria
is an exception and is applied to both women and men as a middle name;

a name can only be selected from those included in the international list of names. The choice of proper names (names of companies, cities, settlements, surnames of other people, fictitious names) is not allowed;

You cannot call a child by names that are prohibited by religion and are not proper names (Judas, Satan, Allah).

If the parents are not allowed to name the child with the chosen name, then the issue is brought up for decision by the court.

Origin of German names

The oldest German names appeared in the 7th–4th centuries. BC. It was believed that they should consist of two parts, and were intended to influence the fate of their owner, to make him brave and strong. And today you can find such ancient names, for example, Eberhart, Bemhart, Wolfgang, which correspond to their Russian counterparts: Svyatoslav, Vladimir, Gorisvet. In total, about 2000 ancient names have been discovered, of which about two hundred are currently active. And their hidden meaning was lost back in the Middle Ages.

The first borrowed names appeared in the second half of the 8th century, when names from the Old Testament began to penetrate with the Christian religion from Italy, and then from Latin language. With the advent of the religion of Christianity, names with religious content also began to be created in the German language: Traugott, Gotthold, Furchtegott.

Fashion has a great influence on the choice of name, for example, literary works, ancient Greek mythology or any other heroic epic. Sometimes children were given names in imitation of politicians and monarchs.

A lot of names were borrowed from French, Russian, Italian and English. It is even considered fashionable to write names in the foreign style: Elly, Gaby, Sylvia (instead of Elli, Gabi, Silvia).

Currently, the choice of name is greatly influenced by cinema, pop or television. It is considered very important to give the child original and unusual name. And many names of the older generation have completely fallen out of use.

Personal names belong to the most ancient onyms. Surnames appeared much later.
The German personal names we encounter today accumulated gradually and were borrowed from various sources. Some of them go back to ancient Germanic onyms, many were borrowed from other peoples at different times. Particularly strong cravings for foreign names observed today.

In modern German-speaking culture, a person has two types of names: a personal name (Rufname) and a surname (Familienname). Patronymic (Vatersname) is absent in the German environment. In everyday life, the word der Name denotes a surname: “Mein name ist Muller”; “Wie war doch gleich der Name?” (“Your last name?”) is a common question from a person who has forgotten the last name of the interlocutor: (Der Name steht an der Wohnungstur). In official documents where required full name, there is a column “Vorname und Name”, that is, personal name and surname.

The oldest names of Germanic origin originated in the 7th-4th centuries BC. As in others European languages, they are composed of two parts and were designed to magically “influence” a person’s fate, give him strength, courage, victory, protection of the gods, etc. This is reflected in the etymology of ancient names that still exist today, such as Eberhart (“stark wie ein Eber”), Bemhart (“stark wie der Bar”), Wolfgang (close to Russian Svyatoslav, Gorisveta, Vladimir). From the oldest layer of personal names - about 2000 of them have been discovered - today there are hardly a hundred active ones. Already in early middle ages the “magical meaning” of personal names was completely lost.

In the second half of the 8th century. names associated with Christianity begin to penetrate into the German language from Italy: first, names from the Old Testament - Adam (Hebrew firstborn), Susanne (Hebrew lily), then Andreas (Greek brave), Agathe (kind), Katharina (pure), from Latin - Viktor (winner), Beata (lucky). Biblical names were borrowed especially actively in the 15th century. Moreover, in Catholic families preference was and is given to the names of saints - patrons of infants, in Lutheran families - to the names of biblical characters. Personal names with religious content were also created from german words and basics: Traugott, Furchtegott, Gotthold.

Factors influencing the choice of name

The choice of a personal name is often influenced by fashion:

romantically “Nordic” (Knut, Olaf, Sven, Birgit), borrowed from ancient Germanic
mythology or from heroic epic(Siegfrid, Siegmund.);

French names (Annette, Claire, Nicole, Yvonne);

Russians (Vera, Natascha, Sascha);

Italian or Anglo-American.

So, in 1983, in the Bern area, the most common names for girls were Nicole, Anja, Susanne, Maudy, Christin, Yvonne. For boys - Christian, Thomas, Stefan, Patrick, Michael, Sebastian.

The fashion for names is largely shaped by imitation. IN old times children were willingly given the names of monarchs (in Prussia - Friedrich, Wilhelm; in Saxony - August, Johann, Albert; in Austria - Joseph, Leopold, Maximilian), as well as the names of heroes of literary works.
Today to choose a name strong influence cinema, television and pop are exerting influence; there is also a craving for originality, uniqueness, and unusualness of the name. Previously known names are often written in a foreign style: Elly, Sylvia, Gaby (instead of Elli, Silvia, Gabi). Some names have gone out of fashion and are given very rarely today. People of the older generation have names that are no longer used today.

Abbreviation of names

In everyday life, many personal names, especially long ones, are abbreviated, for example, Ulrich -> Ulli; Bertolt -> Bert(i); Bernhard -> Bernd; Katharina -> Kat(h)e; Friedrich -> Fritz; Heinrich -> Heinz, Harry; Johannes -> Hans; Susanne -> Susi. Some of these so-called hypocoristic names have now begun to be used on a par with the original ones, that is, independently (for example: Fritz, Heinz, Hans).
German surnames developed much later than personal names. They developed from the so-called nicknames (Beinamen), which initially contained information about the origin of the bearer of the name, about his place of birth (Walter von der Vogelweide, Dietrich von Berne).

Many nicknames indicated some physical or other differences of a given individual: Friedrich Barbarossa (Rotbart, Redbeard), Heinrich der Lowe. Over time, this nickname began to be passed on to the heirs and enshrined in official documents.
The famous German linguist W. Fleischer points out that in the 12th century German surnames began to appear - first in large cities in the west. In the north, in the province of Hanover, they were introduced only in early XIX century by order of Napoleon. Family names, surnames were assigned primarily to feudal lords. Fleischer gives as an example characters Lessing's plays "Minna von Barnhelm": Freulein von Barnhelm, Major von Tellheim - nobles; servants - Just, Franziska. And today it is customary to call domestic servants simply by name, in contrast to the usual address: Frau + given name or surname; Herr + first or last name.
The overwhelming majority of modern German surnames were formed from personal names (Walter, Hermann, Peters, Jacobi), nicknames (Bart, Stolz) and names of professions and occupations (Muller, Schmidt, Koch, Schulze, Schumacher).

Most modern German names can be divided into two groups:

1) names of ancient Germanic origin (Karl, Ulrich, Wolfgang, Gertrud);

2) foreign names borrowed from the Catholic calendar (Johann, Katharina, Anna, Margarete).

German law prohibits giving children geographical names, surnames or fictitious names as names (as is customary, for example, in the United States), but allows an unlimited number of names, which is consistent with Catholic traditions, which are followed by a third of the German population.

Recently, short or diminutive names are increasingly used as passport names: Kathi (instead of Katharina), Heinz (instead of Heinrich). The merging of double names is also practiced: Marlene = Maria + Magdalene, Annegret = Anna + Margarete, Annemarie = Anna + Marie.

Until the middle of the 20th century, it was customary in Russian to render the German sound [h] as “g”: Hans - Hans, Helmut - Helmut, Burkhard - Burkgard. According to modern rules of practical transcription, these names are rendered as Hans, Helmut, Burkhard. An exception (for obvious reasons) is made only for the transfer of the letter combination “her”: Herbert - Herbert, Herwig - Gerwig. In other cases, it is recommended to convey the pronounced [h] as “x”. (Although the old traditions are still alive: we say and write Heinrich Heine, Wilhelm Hohenzollern, although in fact these names should sound: Heinrich Heine, Wilhelm Hohenzollern).

Female names ending in -e are sometimes rendered with the ending -a in Russian transcription: Martine - Martina, Magdalene - Magdalena (especially since the German language also has the forms Martina and Magdalena). At the same time, for some names there is a stable form of transmission through -e: Anneliese - Anneliese, Hannelore - Hannelore.

Linguists usually divide German names into two main groups. These are groups of names of different origins. The first group includes names of Germanic origin. In the second group, scientists include names borrowed from the Catholic faith. So the following names are considered Germanic: Karl, Gertrud, Wolfgang, Ulrich and others. Catholic names include: David, Peter, Michael, Christian and others.

Unlike many countries, in Germany it is not customary to give children fictitious names, although little by little this tradition is being broken. The trend of gaining independence from short forms of names is gaining momentum. Many derivatives of full names are pushing their parents out of use. So the name Heinz, one of the thirty most popular German names, short form the name Heinrich, which is not included in this popularity ranking. It is worth noting that this trend is worldwide. Another interesting trend is the acquisition of independence from abbreviations of double names. So the name Annamaria became an independent name, and previously was an abbreviation for Anna Maria.

Germanic names, despite the interpenetration of cultures, never became particularly widespread in the Russian language. What, in principle, can be said about the Slavic names that did not go beyond the Slavic countries. Common and familiar names for both cultures are names of Christian origin. These are the names that are in the Bible, and the names of saints common to Christians.

German male names popular in the last 100 years. Data from 2002 (30 names).

There are male German names known throughout the world, the bearers of which have determined the glory of Germany for centuries. Johann Sebastian, Ludwig, Wolfgang, Berthold - humanity without these people would not be what it is today.

Glory to all mankind

Bach, Beethoven, Goethe, Brecht - the list goes on for quite a long time. Robert, Peter, Gunther, Erich - these names are known, loved, they are common and popular. The most important thing, at least in this article, is that these are truly German names for men. In a global, cosmic sense, it is obviously not very important what name a genius bears. But just as the names Ivan Turgenev and Pyotr Tchaikovsky sound to the Russian ear, so to the German ear do Heinrich Heine and Robert Schumann.

Smiles of time

It is absolutely impossible to ignore the name Karl. And not only because Marx wore it (although I’m certainly familiar with him most of humanity). Charlemagne, king of the Franks, is no less famous. Faberge and Lagerfeld, a world-famous jeweler and king of fashion, are also well-known. What to say about Karl Urban. He played the role of one of the heroes of The Lord of the Rings! All the other Karls pale in comparison - who knows the height of Marx or Faberge? Urban has grown to 185 centimeters. Any football fan knows the football Carls - Rummenigge and Cort. And Papa Carlo is a symbol of an unlucky worker! In a word, the name is famous, ancient, and has not lost its popularity today.

Ancient names

The same ancient German names include the names of heroes national epic“The Song of the Nibelungs” - blue-eyed and blond Siegfried, a symbol of a purebred Aryan, Sigmund, Alberich and others. Despite their advanced age, these names are in demand. Siegfried Schneider is a two-time Olympic champion, Siegfried Lenz is a popular film actor. Sigmund, thanks to Freud, is a legendary name. Augustine also belongs to the ancients, a name glorified over the centuries by the Austrian folk song “Ah, my dear Augustine.” Such male German names as Hermann, Martin, Friedrich, Wilhelm, Gustav and Alfred are of considerable age, but are still popular today.

Availability and influence of information

Information flows are very large, the number of heroes that young people want to imitate is endless. The Internet did Earth one house, there are a lot of favorite names in it, and I want to name the child in honor of the idol. Therefore, the most popular sometimes become At all times not last role Fashion played a role, and it did not bypass German Modernism, which clearly confirms the influence of the United States on the entire life of Western Europe. Ben (topping the popularity list) - when did this name become German? According to 2012 data, less than a third were included in the list of the most popular names for newborns. It's nothing you can do - modern Child live in society, and it dictates its own conditions. There are many examples in literature when children lived with hated names, blaming their parents for their entire lives. An example is Publius Valerius, one of the heroes of the Forsyte Saga. His father named him this way in honor of the horse that came first in the race. But this is certainly an extreme case.

Internationality of names

There are many French names on the list - Louis, Luca, Leon. Quite a few Scandinavian ones - Jan, Jacob, Johas, Nicholas, and, of course, American ones - Tom, Tim. But the name Noah is somehow double. It is believed that this is a Hebrew female name, however, if it is translated as Noah, then the surprise still remains. Noa is a popular Israeli singer. Probably, after all, German boys are named after American actor, who has Indian roots, the hero of the film “The Last Airbender” - Noah Ringer. Let's hope that the French and American names in combination with do not sound as wild as Harry Kravchenko. So, the most popular German names today are Ben, Leon, Lucas, Luca (the song brought fame and love to this name). This only says that, despite the popularity of Berlinaria, there are a lot of American products on the screens of cinemas in Germany, as well as throughout the world.

Names that have retained significance for contemporaries

Maybe Hansel sounds archaic, and the boy is better off living with the name Johas - the Germans will judge. It is pleasant to note Philip (a horse lover) and Alexander (a courageous defender), who have not lost their popularity since ancient times. In addition to those listed above, the 2012 list includes such popular German male names as Felix, David, Henry. Times change, and names change along with them.

Names that have become household names

Every people has names that represent it as a nation. Russian Ivan, American Uncle Sam, German Fritz. They have a negative stamp on them. During the war, all occupiers were called “Kruts.” If we consider Fritz as a shortening of the full name Friedrich, then the picture changes dramatically. It testifies to the greatness of Germany - Nietzsche, Engels, Schiller, Barbarossa. These were great people. The royal names William and Henry are generally unrivaled in terms of monumentality and grandeur. In Europe there were dozens of reigning persons who wore them with honor. Heinrich Heine, the poet, added to his worldwide fame. Considering the wars unleashed by Germany in the 20th century, every German name, the most beautiful and noble, can belong to a war criminal. the head of the Gestapo, did not add human sympathy to him.

Typically German names

Erich, Gustav, Alfred, Heinrich, Wilhelm, Adolf, Friedrich - these are the most common German names. And the most characteristic. To them we can safely add Hermann and Otto, the most famous of whom was Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor” who united the scattered German principalities into one state. But people of the older generation knew very well the handsome West German actor Otto Wilhelm Fischer and Otto Yulievich Schmidt.

Some male German names have received deserved obstruction. Adolf was very unlucky. Derived from the ancient German name Adalwolf (translated as “noble wolf”), it characterized a very decent person. He was characterized by elegance, restraint, sociability, willpower and intelligence. And for the time being it belonged to quite nice people, talented people- Erichson (architect, master of Russian modernism), Andersen (the greatest chess player), Dassler (founder of the Adidas company). The Adolfs were the King of Nassau and Dobryansky-Sachurov, a major public figure, philosopher and writer. Thanks to Hitler, this name, like the name of King Herod, will personify and inspire horror and disgust for centuries.

Beautiful names

In Germany, like in any other country, there are beautiful German male names. It’s rare that someone is called Maximilian these days, and it didn’t happen very often in the past. But it's a very beautiful name. And the West German actor was very handsome and talented. The name translates as “descendant of the greatest”; its bearers are characterized by many positive features. Maximilian I, the German king, and Maximilian Voloshin, the Russian encyclopedist, were polymaths. Aren’t the names Alfred (the famous Musset bore him), Arnold (there may have been famous Arnolds, but Schwarzenegger eclipsed everyone), Martin (“Martin Eden”). In some sources, Altaf, which translates as “the cutest, most charming,” and simply “handsome,” refers to German names. Such male German names listed in reference books as Lorenz, Raphael, Walter are most likely just names often given to boys in Germany. They are definitely of foreign origin.

Rare names

German deserves special words, which translated from Latin means close, half-brother, true, even brother. The name is so international and popular that Germans consider it German, and Russians consider it Russian. Pastor Kant, as well as the famous Jesuit Busembaum, speak in favor of the first version. In favor of the second - the hero " Queen of Spades", cosmonaut Titov, saints of Valaam, Constantinople, hermit Solovetsky. They were all Germans.

In Germany, like in any other country, there are rare German male names. There are a lot of them, from the noble Abelard to the bright Angelbert. These include Berndt, Willafrid, Detlef, Etzel and many others.

Names - the image of Germany

In general, when you pay attention to German male names, you are shocked by the greatness of the picture. No matter how many of them are listed, it is impossible to cover all the Germans who brought glory to their country and made their names immortal. Is it possible to ignore Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart if paintings called “Amadeus” appear on the screens of the world one after another? The names of philosophers, composers, writers - Liszt, Hegel, Kant and Schopenhauer - will always be the most famous for Germans. And only they themselves can judge the significance and popularity of their names. I would like to believe that the time will never come when the names of geniuses will be known to humanity only as the names of turtles and dogs (Raphael and Beethoven), and no one will remember the bearers of these names.

Personal names and surnames are an integral part of the culture of any people, capable of revealing their character, reflecting beliefs, way of life, value and aesthetic guidelines. The world of individual names and surnames is a world of meanings and meanings that require their decoding. Behind every name there is a mystery and riddle. Sonorous German female names carry echoes of German myths and ballads. In them one can hear the clanking of medieval lists, and images beautiful ladies and the warlike Valkyries behind them influence the fate of their bearers. But is it?

German woman with national flag

German traditions in naming children

In Germany, children are given several names at birth. Their number can reach up to ten. With the onset of adulthood, everyone decides whether to choose only one name or leave all. First names can also be used as surnames.

The formation of complex personal names is a very long tradition associated with the ancient German naming system, which dominated in Western Europe up to the 10th century. Most often, the name consisted of two lexemes and acquired a comprehensive meaning. For male names, popular lexemes were used with the meaning “friendship”, “protection”, “struggle”, “war”, “strength”, “god”, “might”, “power”, “glory” and the like. Interestingly, many of them were also used in women's names. But, of course, basically the meanings of female names gravitated towards other meanings: “ancestor”, “fertile”, “friendly”, “portly”, “attractive”, “healthy”, “generous”, etc. From “cubes” lexemes formed personal names, unique and inimitable, having sacred meaning And magical power. At the same time, one of the lexemes of the child’s name was very often a lexeme from the name of the parents or more distant ancestors.

From the end of the 10th century, naming traditions began to change. Titled nobles seek to justify their claims to complete power, including by choosing special names passed on from generation to generation. The prestige of aristocratic names made them popular among the broad masses. This led to a peculiar fashion and the spread of identical names.

TO XIII century The most common names for girls in Germany were: Ava, Greta, Adalisa (Adela, Lisa), Gertrude, Verta, Matilda, Heila.

Based on their origin, German female names can be divided into two groups. The first includes names of ancient Germanic origin. These are names such as Gertrude, Gerda, Carla, Emma and others. The second group is foreign-language names borrowed from Christianity - Katrina, Maria, Hannah, Margarita, etc. According to German law, girls cannot be given fictitious and geographical names, but it is allowed to use abbreviated versions (Inga, Lena, Mia), a merging of two names : Marlene = Maria + Marlena, Annamaria = Anna + Maria and others.

German names for girls

Of course, it is impossible to list all German female names. German Not everyone likes it. Many consider it rude and too militant, but there are still female names of Germanic origin, the sound of which is melodious to the ear and favorable in meaning. Many of them are great for modern girls. Let's focus on the most popular and beautiful ones.

List of popular German girl names and their meanings

• Mia – short for Maria;
• – means bitter, serene, desired;
• Hannah (Anna) – the mercy of God, brave;
• Emma – precious, universal;
• – wise;
• Leonie is a lioness;
• Joanna - merciful;
• - short for Helena, torch, torch;
• Ursula - bear;
• Katrina – pure;
• Helga – sacred, holy;
• – reborn, born again;
• – Sabine;
• Ingrid – beautiful, fertile;
• Monica is the only one;
• Petra - stone;
• Susanna – water lily;
• Brigid – strong;
• Erica – powerful, ruler;
• – Christian;
• Stephanie – crowned;
• Gertrude – spear+beloved;
• Elizabeth - my God - oath;
• Angelica – angelic;
• Gabriela - God's warrior;
• Ilsa is short for Elizabeth;
• Nicole is the conqueror of nations.

The first eight names are the most popular female names in Germany and Austria over the past ten years. The rest are the most common in 1890-2002. Some names, such as Hannah and Emma, ​​lost popularity during the 20th century, but have regained it in the 21st century.

German female names Hannah and Emma - rebirth

The name Hannah is of Hebrew origin and means “mercy of God,” “grace.” In Christianity, it is one of the most common and is associated with such biblical characters as Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, the mother of the prophet Samuel and others. The most famous German women with the name Hannah:

• Hannah Arendt - philosopher;
• Hanna Reich - pilot;
• Hannah Hech – artist;
• Hanna Schygulla is an actress.

The name Emma comes from an ancient Germanic name meaning "huge, all-encompassing." The meaning of the name determined Emma’s occupations - most often they are actresses, writers, and singers. It has become widespread throughout Europe, and now the triumphant “return” of this name to its historical homeland is being celebrated.