Common german last names

German names are strong and have a long history behind them. Find your German last name and learn about the meaning and origins of different German surnames. In January Germany became a unified country.

With roots in the Germanic middle ages, German surnames have been around since the s. They are often very easy to identify if you either know a little German or know which clues to look for. Names with the vowel cluster ei Klein are also mostly German. German surnames developed from four major sources:. A variation on locality names, farm names in Germany are names which came from the family farm. The thing which makes them different from traditional surnames, however, is that when a person moved onto a farm, he would change his name to that of the farm a name which usually came from the farm's original owner. A man might also change his surname to his wife's maiden name if she inherited a farm.

Common german last names

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These occupational names form the largest group among the German family names. Schwarz - This surname means "black" in English.

Data updated to 12 February The common names Schmidt and Schmitz lead in the central German-speaking and eastern Low German -speaking areas. Bauer leads in eastern Upper German -speaking Bavaria. Rarer names tend to accumulate in the north and south. Huber is common in southern Bavaria and is, with the exception of Munich , the most frequent name in that area. Due to the historical settlement of Slavs , Slavic names are most common in Saxony , Brandenburg , and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern especially in Lusatia , where Sorbs continue to reside today. Many Austrians also have surnames of Slavic origin.

Germany has been shaped by its traditions, customs, regional influences, and historical events and is the birthplace of art and ideas. Germans are regarded as meticulous, industrious, innovative, and resilient. German last names connect a nation and culture with history and wonder. For most of history, what is now Germany was a group of Germanic states and powers unified by similar languages and cultures. German last names typically sound strong, with common themes including references to jobs or geographic places, which can give insight into the history of a German family. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Old German separated from other Germanic languages and eventually developed into modern German. Religious-based surnames are popular due to the influence of Catholicism and Protestantism in German culture.

Common german last names

Data updated to 12 February The common names Schmidt and Schmitz lead in the central German-speaking and eastern Low German -speaking areas. Bauer leads in eastern Upper German -speaking Bavaria.

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Some of them are unusual to hear, as they are no longer popular. Google Analytics Google Analytics. List of the most common surnames in Germany [ edit ] Data updated to 12 February Meier or Meyer - Manorial landlord, or later, a self-employed farmer. Additionally, over time, people have altered or changed the names. That old doll might just be worth a small fortune. Fischer - Fisherman. Altergott - "Alter" translates to "old" and "Gott" translates to "God" in English, making the meaning something along the lines of "Old God". And perhaps the knowlegde about the meaning of names can also influence a person's choice of name when getting married. Are you InTheKnow? In Germany, there are about , different family names. MEIER 6. After immigrating to America, many Germans changed "Americanized" their surname to make it easier for others to pronounce or merely to feel more a part of their new home.

Meanings and Origins of Common Last Names.

KOCH Data updated to 12 February This is linked in the privacy policy. FUCHS Bauer, Ingrid. Italian Surname Meanings and Origins. Table of contents. How to Talk About the Weather in German. See our editorial process. Data Privacy Statement Imprint. A variation on locality names, farm names in Germany are names which came from the family farm. And perhaps the knowlegde about the meaning of names can also influence a person's choice of name when getting married.