Names define us as individuals throughout our lives. When it comes to names, naming conventions can vary from country to country. Let’s take a deeper look into German names and how to explore your German ancestry.
History of German Names
While Germany follows the naming conventions of most Western countries with given first names and a surname, there are some unique differences.
Have you looked at your German ancestry lines and noticed that the children in a family all have the same first name? It was common for children to have a religious first name (Vorname), such as Johann or Maria, followed by the name they were known by (Rufname), and then their surname (Nachname).
Germany has stricter rules for baby names than some other Western countries. Parents must have their chosen names approved by the civil registration office or Standesamt. The law says the name must indicate the gender of the child, and the name must not negatively impact the child, such as being associated with evil, religiously insensitive, a product brand, a surname, or a place-name.
Traditional First Names
Some of the popular boy and girl names include the following:
Boy Names | Girl Names |
| Matteo (God’s gift) | Emma (whole or universal) |
| Felix (happiness) | Hannah (grace) |
| Henry (house ruler) | Luisa (Old German name meaning warrior maiden) |
| Luis (famed warrior) | Maria (beloved) |
| Friedrich (peaceful ruler) | Ursula (bear) |
| Karl (free man) | Ilse (Oath of God) |
| Gunther (Old German name meaning war or battle) | Ingrid (loved or beautiful) |
| Wolfgang (wolf and path) | Gisela (Old High German meaning pledge) |
Most Common Surnames
Family names, or surnames, came into use in Germany during the 1500s and became a legal requirement in the 1800s.
Most German surnames reflect characteristics such as these:
- Family, such as Ahrends (or son of Ahrend)
- Occupation, such as Schmidt and Mueller (or Smith and Miller)
- Bodily feature, such as Krause (or “curly”)
- Geographical places where someone lived, such as Kissinger (Kissingen)
Some areas, such as northern Germany, used a patronymic naming system until the 1800s, when hereditary names were required.
Other surnames reflected nobility or landownership with the preposition von. Farm names, or Hofnamen, often reflect where a person farmed.
Anglicized German Surnames
Many German immigrants anglicized their names when they came to North America. Sometimes it was intentional, and other times immigration workers spelled names phonetically, or as they heard them pronounced.
Here are a few examples:
- Mueller, or Müller (Miller)
- Schmidt (Smith)
- Koch (Cook)
- Braun (Brown)
Because spelling was not standardized (especially during the 1700s and 1800s) be sure to look for variations in spelling to find your ancestors.
For more help with German spellings, watch this class from Katherine Schober, featured at RootsTech, the world's largest genealogy conference:
Quick Guide for Pronunciation
As you look for your German ancestors, you can learn more about German pronunciation from this FamilySearch Wiki page.
You can also check out this guide from Handlo Music that can help you with German pronunciation.
Here is a sample of what is found on the guide:
- Dipthongs such as ei or ai are pronounced as in mile or sigh (Kaiser, Meyer)
- Au is pronounced “ou” as in “house” (Frau, Baum, Haus)
- Eu and äu is pronounced like “oi” as in “boy” (fräulein, Mäuser)
Share What You Learn on FamilySearch
For more information on researching German records, be sure to look at the FamilySearch Wiki page. As you research your German ancestry, consider sharing what you find with your family members by adding your findings to the FamilySearch Family Tree. At FamilySearch.org, you and other family members can work together on building and discovering your family history—for free!
