Have you ever wondered why so many German names seem to end in -er or reference an attribute about someone? Most German surnames originated based on a person or family’s occupation or geographic location, or the name was derived from a father’s given name at some point throughout history.
German last names were fairly commonplace within Germany by the 1500s, but in the late 1700s, it became German law that families have a fixed surname that would be passed down through generations. Interestingly, Germany’s Justice Minister announced upcoming changes to the strict German naming system as of April 2023. Find out how knowing which type of German last name you have can tell you valuable information about your ancestors.
History of German Last Names
The first instance of German commoners having surnames was during the Middle Ages in the 1300s. At this time, patronymic surnames were common — the person’s second name derived from their father’s first name, changing with each generation.
By the 1500s, last names were common, with the practice of passing surnames down from father to child gaining prevalence into the 1600s. But it wasn’t until later that passing down a fixed name through families was mandated in Germany. In 1790, the German state of Baden was the first to require by law that families have fixed surnames to be passed down through future generations.
There are four common types of German last names.
Occupational: These common surnames were given to a person or their family based on their job. These names frequently end in -er, -hauer (cutter), -macher (maker), or -man/-mann (referring to one who does something specific).
Patronymic: This type of surname was common in the early days of German last names, assigned to an individual based on their father’s first name. For example, someone with the last name Petersohn is the “Son of Peter.”
Descriptive: Descriptive surnames come from a nickname or a character or physical trait one of your ancestors had. For example, when surnames were mandated in Germany, a family with the surname Brun likely had brunette (brown-haired) ancestors.
Geographical: These surnames provide information about where a family or individual lived or originated from.
- Commonly ending in -er, these names indicate you’re “from” or “of” something. For example, someone with the surname Berger lived near a mountain.
- Among aristocratic families, surnames with “von” in them indicated where the family came from. So Lukas von Albrecht was literally “from Albrecht” in Germany.
- Geographical German surnames can also reflect a region through dialect. For example, names originating in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland commonly had diminutive endings like -l, -el, -erl, -le, and -li.
Depending on which type of German surname you have, you can learn valuable information about your family’s history by looking at the origin of the name. For instance, if you have an occupational surname (typically ending in -er -hauer, -macher, or man/-mann) you can look for an ancestor who held that occupation around the time when surnames became mandatory.
In modern day Germany, there are still rigid rules about surnames. Under German law, only one partner in a marriage is allowed to add the other person’s surname to their legal name. They must also choose one surname for their child, unlike in the United States where it is increasingly common for a child to take on the surnames of both their mother and father (for example Julia Smith and Michael Patel’s daughter might have the surname Smith-Patel).
The proposed legislation that would take effect in 2025 would see German parents allowed to take each other’s surnames when married and provide their child with a double-barreled surname (hyphenated or unhyphenated) if they choose.
Common German Last Names and Meanings
Understanding German last names and meanings is critical to tracing your heritage because the origin of a name points to a region, occupation, and other distinctive information about your family history. For example, the German last name Schnee means “snow.” Take a look at the 10 most common German surnames and the meanings behind them:
- Müller: This is an occupational name meaning “miller.”
- Schmidt: Schmidt is an occupational name referring to a blacksmith.
- Schneider: This is an occupational name meaning “cutter,” referring to a tailor.
- Fischer: Another occupational name referring to a fisherman.
- Weber: Weber is an occupational name for a weaver.
- Meyer: In Middle High German, this name meant “manager of an estate,” but today, it can refer to a dairy farmer (Meier).
- Wagner: An occupational surname meaning “wagon builder.”
- Becker: An occupational surname meaning “baker.”
- Schulz: Short form of the Middle High German name Schultheize, referring to a “village leader.”
- Hoffmann: This is an occupational surname referring to a steward of a property.
These popular German last names can vary within the top 10 rankings depending on which part of the country you’re in or if you live in a different German-speaking region in Europe (like Switzerland or Austria).
What Are German Jewish Last Names?
German Jewish last names are common because of a naming mandate that came into effect in Austria-Hungary for Ashkenazi Jewish people in the late 1700s. Under Joseph II, a decree called the Das Patent über die Judennamen was passed on July 23, 1787. This patent required that Jewish people begin adopting permanent surnames in this region. Because of the geographical location, many of the resulting Jewish surnames have German origins.
Some examples of German Jewish last names from pre-World War I Germany are:
- Alsbach
- Carlburg
- Fliesbach
- Liebad
- Meinstein
- Pelz
- Rothbauer
- Weissner
A book by Lars Menk titled A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames details a list of 13,000 Jewish-German surnames from this period.
What Are Old German Last Names?
In the early Middle Ages, people in what is modern-day Germany spoke a version of modern German called Old High German. Old High German was spoken in the southern part of the country, while Old Saxon or Old Low German was spoken in northern Germany. These Old German last names had different conventions and rules in how they were passed down through generations and to wives during the marriage. For example, women would take on a feminine form of their husband’s surname by adding -in or -yn, such as Pfeifferin from Pfeiffer.
What Are Americanized German Last Names?
to make them easier for English speakers to pronounce. Often, these names were changed by the immigrant upon arrival in North America as a way to assimilate with the culture. Americanizing a German surname can be done in many ways, with changes to pronunciation, changes to the actual spelling of the name, using the English translation of the name’s meaning, or silencing of letters that are pronounced in German. Examples of German last names taking on Americanized forms are:
- Braun to Brown
- Müller to Miller
- Schmidt to Smith
Uncommon German Last Names
There are well over 1 million unique surnames in Germany, so while many names are common, there are also some extremely rare German last names. Some uncommon German last names include:
- Bierhals (meaning beer-throat)
- Durchdenwald (meaning through the trees or forest)
- Handschuh (meaning a glove)
- Nachtnebel (meaning foggy night)
- Trinkenschuh (meaning drink-shoe)
These cool German last names are just a sampling of some of the lesser-known names in Germany and other German-speaking nations in Europe. Having an uncommon German surname can make it easier for you to trace your roots accurately since there are fewer lines sharing a common name in history.
Heidi Klum is a German celebrity and international model with a unique German surname that has a quirky meaning. Klum originates from the German word “klumpen”, which refers to a clump. This suggests the surname Klum translates to “clumpy”.
Exploring Your German Roots
You can research the meaning behind German surnames on Ancestry®. Start by inputting your last name and see if it comes up with information about its meaning. You can also look up common suffixes for German names (like -mann, -macher, or -hauer), and if one of these applies to your name, see what’s said about it. Then research the meaning of the root of your name.
For example, if you have a common German last name like Schumacher, you can quickly look up the meaning of “Schu” in German through Google Translate and find out it means “shoe.” Therefore, your last name refers to someone who is a “shoemaker.”
If you’re trying to build your family tree, Ancestry can help you get started. The has a wealth of German historical records that help people with German or Jewish German heritage learn more about the ancestors who shared their last name. Any information you may possess can help in your search for relatives, such as birth date, marriage certificate, record of military service, or time spent in a concentration camp. If you have minimal details about your German relatives, you can simply search by name and geographic area.
Take advantage of a free trial* today and begin the process of discovering your German roots.
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